Love's Burn
by UltrraShaddow
Summary: After being abandoned by Knuckles, Rouge finds refuge in the most unexpected person! R&R! Update: 09.12.06...Complete!
1. Love burns

_**UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

**LoVe'S bUrN **

By: UlTrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

-Well, here's the first official Chapter of 'Love's Burn!' Enjoy the story! Oh and F.Y.I. at the end of each chapter is a song that it's theme.

-If you happen to have that song on hand to listen to, it'd probably enhance your viewing pleasure! Anyway, welcome to the world that unfolds in Love's Burn!

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

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_Rouge's POV_….

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I can't believe it! I'm going to see my dearly beloved Knuckles! My heart feels so light and giddy! It's been almost two weeks since I've last seen him! I mean ever since Shadow's been gone….I've never seen him!

Well…. anyways, I know how Knuckles feels about foreign visitors coming to Angel Island, so I decided to take a private chopper there. Oh I can't wait to see him again!

Why I'll get to see his dazzling amethyst eyes, and his strong body! And not to mention his cute smile! Oh I can't wait to see him! I impatiently waited for the chopper to land, once it did; I paid the pilot at once and began to run off.

"Miss?" the pilot beckoned.

I turned around to look at him, "Yes?"

"Umm, do you want me to come back for you later?" he asked.

I shook my head, "No, I have my way of getting back, but thank you anyways!"

The pilot nodded and the chopper left as I waved him off. Finally! Time to see my Knuckles! I spun on my heel to face the gorgeous green paradise, which made up Angel Island. With luggage in hand, I began my journey to find Knuckles. I must have traveled miles through the grassy terrain, but nothing could keep me away from that fine echidna of mine!

After sopping through knee-deep mud for a while, I came upon an opening in the bushes. I peered through, trying to make little noise as possible and I saw a tall red echidna snooping around in the jungle terrain as if he was hunting something down. In eager excitement I pummeled Knuckles with a hug, knocking both of us to the ground.

I laughed, "Long time no see treasure hunter!"

A bit startled, Knuckles' amethyst eyes fell upon me, "H-hello Rouge…. how have you been lately?" He stood up and helped me up, "I've been fine lately…but I'm even better now that I found what I was looking for."

He paused for a minute, "And what have you been looking for?"

I gave him a devilish grin, "I don't know, you tell me handsome."

"But that's why I asked---mmm."

I cut Knuckles off mid-sentence with a kiss that lulled him into following my romantic lead. Before we got any more serious, Knuckles broke off the kiss and smiled at me. He rose to his feet,and helped me up as well. Knuckles started to walk off then motioned me to follow, "Come on, this isn't a proper place to...um...socialize, let's go somewhere safer."

I laughed and ran after him carrying my luggage. It looked like this day was going to be even better than I had imagined. Now, I wonder whether I'll be able to get the echidna anywhere near water today. I have this cute bikini I know he'd be dying to see me in...

* * *

Hand in hand, he took me to some sort of shrine where my eyes fell upon a giant green stone. Immediately I knew where I was; the crumbling, ancient stone structure, the tall multiple steps, and even the fabulous look out over the ocean.

I was at the hallowed shrine of the Master Emerald. I don't exactly know all the history behind this place, but I know enough to know that if anyone tried to steal the gem, Knuckles would be ready to fight.

"This is the Master Emerald I must protect," Knuckles said gesturing his finger towards the emerald.

It is beautiful! I mean it was the largest stone I've ever seen in my life! Not to mention the way the sun touched the emerald seemed to make it afire and sparkle. The sun's strong beams set the jewel aglow and refracted thousands of miniature rainbows. Naturally I was enchanted by the large jewel's majesty.

"It's absolutely beautiful Knux! No wonder why wanted it so much!...Still do, actually," I laughing to myself. But strangely, Knuckles charged our conversation, "So that was only you in the forest, right?"

"Only me," I answered still admiring the large opulent gem. He nodded his head then his eyes scanned my luggage, "Oh, I see that you have plans to stay with me?"

I spun to face him, "Yep! Isn't that wonderful? Now you and I can have the time together we've always wanted…just the two of us. No more Sonic, no more Eggman...just you and me."

Knuckles frowned a bit and this got my attention, it just irked me a little, "What? Don't you _want_ me to stay here?"

"Well, I'm happy to see you and all but…I can't…."

He turned his back to me and I treaded closer to him, "Can't what?"

"I can't allow you to stay on this Island, I mean, I must protect this Master Emerald…I can't allow myself to fall to any distractions…" He walked towards the Master Emerald and stared at his reflection longingly, "...My Emerald...my destiny..."

"But Knuckles, I came all this way to see you…"

I looked down at my feet, starting to feel a little upset; I mean I had traveled how many miles to get here and spend some time with my beloved boyfriend!? "Oh, so it's _always_ about the Master Emerald, _huh_?"

" Rouge, I do care for you but this, what I'm doing here," Knuckles turned to look at me with a stone face, "It runs in my blood. So between you and the Master Emerald…"

I stepped in, "Knuckles, _is_ it the Master Emerald, or me?"

Yet again he turned his back to me. It seemed as if he was having a difficult time finding his words, but and when he did, it was for the worst, "I CANNOT HAVE ANY DISTRACTIONS! Don't make me choose!"

"And you shouldn't have any then," I looked up with a heavy glare, "What do you mean, 'I must protect the master emerald and I can't fall to distractions?' Am I just a distraction to you!"

Knuckles turned to face me, "I mean I can't keep you company and watch the emerald…and I don't want you here on the island all alone…it's dangerous here. Especially at nightfall."

I crossed my arms, "Oh? Well you seemed to have made time to notice me when you lost your precious emerald!"

Knuckles sighed, sounding rather exasperated, "Exactly…I lost the _emerald_, and I went to retrieve it….and I happened to meet you on the way there….so I technically…." I gasped in disbelief , "So then…what about your feelings for me? And when you told me 'I love you Rouge' Huh? Was that all some kind of lies you told me?"

I glared at Knuckles, but I noticed he couldn't return my stare; he simply turned his back on me and said softly, "I think it'd be best if you left…."

I turned my head away from him disgustedly and felt hot tears welling up in my eyes. I wasn't going to cry in front of him. I wasn't. I can't, won't show weakness before him. Bitterly, I wiped away my blurring eyes with the back of my palm.

I hate crying and everything about it: how hot tears seem to leave a burning trails down your face, how its a battle to keep your face straight, and ultimately, a person only cries when experincing deep emotion.

_All of this, just to be shot down? I feel so... _

"FINE! I GUESS IT WAS ALL FOR NOTHING THEN? HUH? KNUCKLES, SINCE YOU LOVE THAT STONE MORE THAN ME KEEP IT! DAMN! I WISH I NEVER KNEW YOU!"

I felt him put his hands on my shoulder, " Rouge, don't be like tha—"

(_Smack_!) He paused in the middle of his sentence looking at me as if I had reported news of his mother's funeral. He slowly raised a hand to his newly reddening cheek; he appeared more shocked than hurt. Hmph, boys and their pride.

I felt my lips shivering in bitter anger then, with blurred vision, I tore through the forest. I'm not going to let him see me cry. That would be weak, and I, Rouge the treasure huntress am not weak.

_...I feel so hollow... _

I thought I heard Knuckles call out my name, but I ignored him. How dare he do that to me! After all the trouble I went through to find him! And all he does is send me back home! Well forget him! I won't need that jerk anymore!

_...I feel so miserable... _

_...And ultimately, alone... _

I found my way to the edges of the floating Island. I looked down towards the sea and then out towards the horizon. How could I possibly get back home? I lied to the pilot telling him that I wouldn't need a ride home.

I had planned on taking a ship back home but there were no ships in the sea that I could find, and the option of flying home in the darkness would most certainly be a dumb idea. Then, an idea hit me.

With a quavering hand, I plucked out my cell phone from my bag and called the pilot again. Although I was sure that he wouldn't give me a ride back to Station Square, he seemed more than happy to. I thanked him than hung up. That stupid pilot! Jacking up the prices like that! Well, anything to get off of this place.

I waited twenty minutes until I saw a bright shinning light and the chopper landed. The pilot stuck his head out the window and smiled at me, I frowned slightly, _'Yeah you would smile, after asking for about double your original amount. Are there any good guys left in this world!?' _

"Welcome back Miss!" He exclaimed. I smiled at him falsely and climbed aboard with him.

"Where would you like to go?" he asked.

"To Station Square please," I answered wiping the tears away from my face.

"Rouge!"

Oh please, _please_ don't be him, I couldn't stand it if that was Knuckles calling out for me. I turned my head to set my sights upon the red echidna.

And it was him. Usually his quick movements were fluent and graceful, but now he was stumbling over himself, " Please don't go! I'm...I'm sorry!"

"Miss?" The pilot asked more so unsure of his position; he was trapped right in the middle of something that was unfolding like a soap opera.

I climbed into the doorway of the aircraft. With wind whipping stray locks of hair into my face, I stared at the scrambling red echidna; then let me give the best performance of my life and finish this soap opera well, "...No, you're right Knuckles...we can't be together..."

Knuckles stared at me with an odd, sad expression as I continued, " Our worlds are too different...you have your Master Emerald...and I..."

"Rouge..." Knuckles said, exasperated.

"...I have nothing..."

I shut the door and signaled the pilot to leave. Nervously, the pilot dabbled and pressed a few buttons and the helicopter began to levitate.

The chopper began to leave as I glanced down at the Island. I saw a red echidna appear trying to call my name out. I stared at him for a while then rolled up the window and turned my head.

The chopper was leaving and I stole a glance down at him and what pained me was that he had his face buried in his hands. I felt my heart being torn from my torso, and I instantly looked away from him. What was really going through his head?

* * *

After being returned to Station Square, since I had little money, I decided to walk home. It was terribly dark, and to make matters worse, it was raining. But nothing seemed to matter to me, I was still in a stupor from the incident at Angel Island.

Actually, now that I think about it, the rain was a good thing. It hid away my wet eyes and my melancholy fairly well.

It's been almost twenty minutes since I stepped out of the airplane and I already can recognize the streets. Finally I'm almost home. I need a good, hot bubble bath. Then I could order some take out, that sounded really good right about now; some Chinese takeout and some Chaos Cola, that sounded really good right now.

I reached a fork in the road and frowned; the street way would take about ten minutes to get home, but the alley would be a quick, sweet two minutes. Too bad it was extra dark today. Well, whatever, I want my Chinese takeout now. And with that, I took a turn through a dark alley way and I heard footsteps….

My breath caught and I slowed down slightly; were those really footsteps I heard, or am I just paranoid? No, I continued to hear them; a chill ran down my spine, and not just from the poor weather. Hesitantly I glanced back to see catch sight of some shadows behind me….

Shoot...I was being followed. But it would be just my luck...On all days to deal with something like this. So what should I do? Play it off and act as if I'm oblivious to the unwanted company? Or just run as fast and as hard as I could?

I began to quicken my walking pace to a light jog, than it increased into a full out sprint. I heard the following footsteps encroaching my position; whoever was following me, was catching me. _Dammit!_

Before I could turn the corner, I was tackled from behind. I yelped, and landed on my stomach, grunting. I rolled onto my back looking up to see my stalkers. As I tried to crawl away from them, a fist crunched into my face and I landed on my stomach. As my head was spinning, I heard laughing and I was pressed against the wall, face first, and ended up dangling by my neck, not wanting to know what they'd do to me next.

I heard mal-intentioned snickers and felt rough hands groping and tussling my clothes, now my tears were streaming out my eyes. I grimaced as I choked back a sob; this day was horrible and I felt completely helpless. Now I was sobbing; the need to cry too great to stop. Why? Why can't I just go home? All I want is some takeout and a coke. I just want to take a hot bath and sleep.

_...Gee, I was right...I really am alone... _

As I hung by my neck, I heard punches, kicks, and loud swearing. Eventually the grip on my neck loosened and I dropped to the floor gasping for air, blinking back tears. While trying to fix my clothes and appearance, I looked up in the rain and saw one tall figure. Shakily, it was approaching me.

I backed away from the figure and cursed when I realized I had ended up in a corner. I don't care anymore, whoever this guy is; he picked the wrong girl to mess with. He was going to get one hell of a fight from me. I wasn't going to back down anymore. Just as I curled my stray fists into balls, I gasped recognizing the boy before me.

"S-shadow?" I spoke hoarsely, "y-you're alive?!"

He said nothing, but I noticed he began to stumble backwards and he took a knee.

"Shadow?" I called concernedly. I ran over to him and held him. I shook him, trying to rouse him into clear consciousness. He opened his eyes and looked at me; Shadow certainly wasn't all there.

"Uuuhhhh, R-rouge?" he moaned weakly.

He collapsed into my arms and with his extra weight, I stumbled into a wall. He was a guy, so he had several pounds over me. I gasped as I smacked into a ruddy brick wall. Geez this guy's heavy!

"Don't worry Shadow," I whispered, "You're safe with me, I promise." With a grunt, I slide him over onto my back and carried him. Something tells me that if he was conscious, he wouldn't want to be carried this way, it would probably smash his ego.

_Boys and their pride_. I made my way to my apartment taking slow, heavy steps. I gazed into the raining sky and saw the outline of my apartment where I'm sure we could finally both seek some refuge.

* * *

I brought him into my bedroom and set him gently on my bed. He released a soft groan, and I began to stroke his head. While I looked at him, thousands of questions flooded my mind. Well, I could ask him questions later, now I have to help him. I slowly turned on one of my bedroom lights to get a better look at my hero. I gasped when I saw all the gashes, bruises, and cuts on his body.

_Geez, what had you been doing Shadow?_ I cleaned all of his wounds and bandaged them immediately. I looked at him a while longer before I covered him with the thick quilts in my bed. He sighed and his normally angry facial features seemed to relax. I smiled. So how should I thank my knight in black and red armor? Don't princesses give kisses or something?

Wait a minute, _a kiss?_ I blushed at the thought of giving him a quick peck on the forehead, and I quickly left into my bathroom. Kiss? _Me_ kiss _Shadow_? _Shadow the Hedgehog?_ The only guy in the universe who had no sense of humor or ever parted his lips in a smile?

That was _Shadow_ in my bedroom, I doubt he'd value any type of affection I'd try to give him. He was one of the coldest, most icy people I had ever come to know. Yeah, I'm sure he'd like a kiss from me.

With a sigh I circled my fingers in my bathwater and smiled; it was just the way I liked it; warm, but hot enough to give you one good burn on your first submersion. Once my tub was filled with frothy, sweet-scented bubbles, I removed dirty clothes and slowly stepped in and submerged in the hot water.

I purred delightfully as I sank into the water. Yes, this was heavenly, next in line was to order my takeout. I looked at Shadow and sighed; I had left the door cracked slightly, what!? I'm not a floozy!

I just want to make sure he's okay. And from where I sat, Shadow looked as if he was getting a well-deserved rest. Once again my head was filled with thoughts, and silently,I hugged my knees, thinking.

_Maybe I'm not alone, anymore... _

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To be continued!

_Chapter One Theme_: "_Fighter_"-Christina Aguilera


	2. A day with the ultimate one!

**_UlTrRa_** **_SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: _**

**LoVe'S** **bUrN **

By: UlTrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

"_You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

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_Shadow's POV: _

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I slowly opened my eyes to the world before me. I sat up to see that I was in a mauve room embellished by the scent of lilac flowers. I looked at the side table next to me and realized that someone had left soup for me. Just as I was getting acquainted with my settings, a searing headache blared.

Instinctively I grabbed my head; where am I? And who is concerned this much for me to have taken the liberty to leave me soup? I heard the doorknob click, and I saw a girl enter the room with a warm smile, "Hey, how are you feeling?"

I recognized the girl as Rouge the bat. We had once worked together under Doctor Eggman; world domination business you could say. But now, returning to the present, I remembered she had just asked me a question. I didn't say anything but merely turned to face her. She put her hands behind her back and shyly approached me, "Well, I want to thank you for helping me back there…"

I arched an eyebrow, "_Helped _you? I basically saved your ass!"

She laughed heartily and sat on the edge on the bed. Well, it was true; I was the one throwing all of the punches and kicks back there in the alley. I mean, was she not the hostage back there?

"And besides, what were you doing in a place like that all by yourself, anyway?" I asked.

Rouge shook her head, "I know, I know, I shouldn't have taken that route home, but…forgive me, I wasn't thinking straight. I had so much on my mind earlier."

"Well next time," I began, "act much more logically."

"…Yeah," Rouge replied, she looked sad for a second before she brightened up slightly, "Thank you for helping me, as I said earlier."

I harrumphed and turned my gaze from her; I'm not too terrifically attached to batgirl, but when I saw her in the clutches of those bastards back there, it made my blood boil. I went out of my way to _especially_ get the bastard who had his hands upon her; I broke his hand in three different places.

My train of thought was broken when I heard batgirl speaking, "Well, have you tried your soup yet?"

I looked towards the side table once again. There indeed was a bowl of steaming soup idling beside me. I looked at her then picked up the piping-hot soup, she smiled; it was apparent that _she_ wished for _me_ to eat. I observed the soup carefully and cautiously put one spoonful slowly into my mouth.

_'Clank!' _

"Ah! Shadow, are you okay?" batgirl asked worriedly.

I promptly dropped the bowl of soup and began to cough. What in the hell did she put in this soup! Is she trying to kill me? I could stand pain...but _this_ was a new form of torture...

Rouge frowned, "Is it my soup?"

_Yes! _

I am going to tell her exactly how I feel about this abomination soup! Just as I was about to begin, I realized that her face was beginning to contort and tears were brimming in her eyes.

.._Oh no_...

Batgirl's voice rose uncontrollably," I mean I'm not a very cook…but then again, Knuckles was always around and he was a great chef…and…and…"

Her voice began to trail off and here comes the waterworks, but I hastily cut off her thought, "Batgirl, this soup is Adequate. Quit troubling yourself,"

…_Why did I even bother to lie like that? To cheer that batgirl up? Hmph, I only did that to stop her from crying...I hate that! _

Her face brightened up and she clapped her hands together, "Really? Well, I'll get some more then!"

I almost face planted once I heard that..._Hell no_! I don't think my stomach could stand anymore of her soup! Thanks for the warning though, batgirl.

"Batgirl! That won't be necessary, I'm pretty much full."

She put her hands on her hips, "Full? You can't be already? Oh well…Hey! I got an idea! How about we go out to dinner! It'll be fun! I mean we'll get all dressed up! You'll love it!"

I scratched my head, "We're eating out? And getting dressed up? I didn't know you had to get all formal for McDonalds…"

Rouge laughed and hit me playfully, "Silly! We're going to a fancy restaurant! De Amor Café! Mac Donalds! Were you serious?"

I felt myself glower; I can't believe I just said something that foolish! Hmph, but who is she to mock me? I crossed my arms and looked away from the tittering bat, then an idea hit me...it was time for revenge.

"Well, that sounds great and all….but…."

"But?" Rouge followed.

"I don't have anything to wear…so I can't go...," I smirked, "That ruins your humor, now doesn't it?"

Rouge beamed brighter; it seems that I have failed..."That's great! We'll go shopping together! This'll be fun!"

My face fell, if there was anything I hated more than crying it was...shopping...

"Come on!" She grabbed my hand and practically carried me out of her apartment.

Damn...defeated by a woman...

* * *

Rouge drove me to a mall where she led me by hand through the billowing horde of animals. After being squeezed through everyone in the mall, I was yanked into a store called, "Men's Wherehouse". There, Rouge had me fitted and measured by some guy with a corny French accent.

He moved around me quickly, basically putting that damn tape measurer everywhere! Was Rouge paying this guy to feel me up? Anyways he left momentarily and I turned to face Rouge.

"Rouge, what the hell was he doing? Are you paying that guy to feel me?"

Rouge burst out laughing, "Shadow! He's just doing his job! He's just trying to find your measurements!"

"Yeah right," I scoffed.

The same measurer returned with a few suits, "Try zese on zir."

I sighed, "I'll be right back Rouge."

She smiled, "Go ahead and take your time, I won't mind."

I followed the measurer to the fitting rooms and tried on a couple of suits. Discarded the first because it was morbid, I tossed the second because it was too loose, and the third was a waste because it was too plain.

"My! Bon monsieur, you have zuch picky tastes!"

I turned and glared at him, "Get out."

"But—"

"Out!"

"Okay zir, but try this last one on! I tink you shall like it!"

He handed me one last suit then left. I glanced at the jet-black suit which was accompanied with a deep, ruby vest. In response I arched an eyebrow, "…"

* * *

Fully clothed, I came out in front of Rouge and stepped into the face of the three mirrors and looked myself over. Rouge smiled and slowly walked up behind me.

"Wow! Shadow you look so debonair!" She giggled.

I stared at my dark reflection and posed from every angle I possibly could. And if I have to say so myself, damn, was I lookin' good. And everyone wonders why I am the ultimate life form; this is your answer.

"Debonair? Why of course I am!" I said making Rouge laugh.

"Shadow, you are just too much to handle!"

I smirked; of course I am.

* * *

After leaving the Men's Wherehouse, we strolled around the mall for a few hours talking about anything and everything, then we both had a drink at a joint called "Jamba Juice" and there we both talked for another half an hour. Or to be correct, it was _batgirl _talking.

"Oh Shadow, by the way, be sure to call in reservations at seven p.m. for De Amor Café, okay? Here's the number."

I shrugged, "Yeah…. sure, you know batgirl, these drinks?…they're the shit!"

Rouge laughed, "Yeah they are! Well anyways, be sure to make reservations at seven okay? I'll meet you there."

Rouge rose to her feet, looking as if she was ready to be on her way. I arched an eyebrow; what? Is she just planning on stranding me here? Was this her orignal objective: dump Shadow off in a place where he has no idea where he's at?

"…Where are _you _going?" I asked; it was more of a challenge than a concern.

"_Where are you going_?'" she said, mocking my voice, then she smiled, "To the beauty salon to get my hair done. When I meet you there at the café, I'll be all nice and pretty for you! So see you then!"

She waved to me and then...she hugged me. I was most unprepared for that. I heard myself gasp from surprise as she ran off laughing. I looked at my drink angrily and stirred it around a little. How dare she embrace me! She knows very well that I hate any kind of contact at all. Whatever revenge I execute on her...it's gonna be grand.

Well, there was no point in staying here by myself. I finished my drink greedily then I left the mall. Since Rouge couldn't drive me back to her apartment, I decided to walk there myself. If I recall correctly, the walk won't be too far.

* * *

Once I returned to her apartment, I realized something…. I couldn't get in!

Damn!

Now what was I suppose to do to pass the time? Well, first off, I called that De Amor Café place and made our reservations... but what to do now? I had no idea. Completely bored, I decided to walk around a local park. I sat on a bench and watched families do all sort of things, whether they'd be playing Frisbee or eating a picnic.

Whatever they were doing wasn't holding my attention, so I stretched out and fell asleep using my new tux as a mattress. It was just when I was beginning to become absorbed in a dream when I got hit in the head with a Frisbee. I woke up quite irate and more than ready to start the next world war, but I saw a little echidna running towards me.

Damn...no world war today...

"Hi mister," the blue, big-eyed echidna kid called, "May we have our Frisbee back?"

No.

But I ended up throwing the Frisbee back to the kid who then returned a smile. As I stretched out my tightening muscles, I was literally knocked to the floor. Startled, I looked up to see none other than Amy Rose above me. Her green eyes were bright and her smile twinkled.

"Oh Shadow! I thought you were dead!" She clung around my neck and squeezed the air out of me.

Next time I come back int town I should give a card that says, 'I'm not dead yet.' At this rate, she'd kill me. I stood up and removed her arms, "It's..._nice_ to see you as well rose hedgehog."

...Lie...

Amy laughed, " Rose hedgehog? Well, anyways…what are you doing here? And why do you have that tux?"

I smirked, " Let's just say that I have a date tonight."

Amy smiled, "Ooh la, la! I wonder who the lucky girl is! So fill me in, what time does the date start?"

"Well, I guess seven."

Amy looked at her watch, "Shadow,"

"Yes?"

"It's 6:55 right now…."

"….OH SHIT!"

Before I could run off, Amy grabbed my arm and smiled, "Don't worry Shadow, I got the whole thing under control!"

* * *

I don't know if it was a wise decision on my part to allow Amy to take me to her apartment and help me get ready for my dinner date, but it was all I could do at the moment. She was the only thing saving me from a potentially wrathful Rouge. I had seen her furious before…and it wasn't a healthy sight.

As I stared in the mirror at my reflection, Amy returned with a smile, "My goodness! If I wasn't so crazy after Sonic, I'd eat you alive right now!"

I laughed, "I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

"Oh yeah, I happened to come across these," said Amy. She raised a pair of nice black and silver sneaks. I tried them on and they were a pretty good fit.

"They used to belong to my dad, but now you can have them…let's just say it's a welcome back gift," Amy said smiling.

"Well thanks for everything...Amy," I said.

"Well, you better get going then!" Amy said with a smile, "You don't wanna keep the lady waiting, eh? Well, bye-bye! See you later!"

After waving to Amy, I ran off towards the De Amor Café, hoping that Rouge wasn't early, or I'd be the newest face in the obituaries!

* * *

I skid to a stop as I arrived at the gaudy De Amor Café. The building was a tall, obsidian structure with gold trimmings and bright lighting. I even found it quaint that the fanatsic structure had a gold, plush carpet rolled to its door. Well, I suppose this building needed to be done up like this, with its customers arriving in limos, and Benzes.

Taking a stroll on the well-lit gold carpet, I headed for the door. And before the doorman could open the door for me, I barged in, bowling him over in the process. I couldn't help but grin at that sight...Then I looked up and took in the magnificence of this restaurant.

It was astounding if I had to say so myself. The red carpets were new and plush, the building was made of ivory, a complete turnabout from its dark, ebony outside, and the aroma of the food filled the air. I could tell I was gonna like it here.

I arrived at the front counter where I mentioned my reservation. The waiter flipped through a few gold-crested pages in his book then took me to a table where I saw a group of guys flocking around a table...

What the hell are they all doing conversing and flirting with _my_ date? You know what, I change my mind; here comes world war III...

As I approached the table venomously, my waiter stepped in before the sparks could fly, "Madam, your guest has arrived."

I looked up and saw Rouge tapping her foot furiously. ...I don't know that much about the way females think, but I knew I was in trouble when she had that look in her eyes... Two sapphire eyes illuminated with anger, and I'm sure that I saw some flames in her blue eyes, "SHADOW! _Where have you been_? It's almost seven thirty!"

"Can't blame me if I want to be fashionably late." I said a little startled.

I then looked at Rouge again and realized just how gorgeous she looked. She was wearing a tight red dress that had no straps, not to mention her dress had slits at the sides, revealing shapely legs. Her hair was parted and curled and I then looked further down at her red open-toed heels, which matched her sash around her shoulders. At that moment she reminded me of a living Jessica Rabbit.

"Rouge…May I say something?"

She crossed her arms, "What?"

"You look stunning," I smirked, "Want me to howl now or later?"

I noticed that Rouge blushed when I said this, and she clamped her hands to her face, "Umm, thank you! You look rather handsome as well! Come and sit down!"

...And I'm in the clear just like that...but I meant every word I said...

We both took out seats and I glared at the guys gathered around the table. What do they think this is? _I'M_ her date!

I snapped around to face them, "And what do you morons--"

"Shadow," Rouge said meaning to correct my demeanor.

"Are you leaving or shall I help you on your way, gentlemen?" I growled, respecting Rouge's wishes.

"...Or would you prefer a boot in the ass?"

"_Shadow_!"

Almost at once they all left our table and I smiled smugly; that's right boys, the vixen at _my_ table is _my_ date. The waiter came and started our order with water then promised that he'd be back in a few minutes. I turned and smiled at Rouge who then blushed a pale rose.

"So, how did your day go?" I asked.

"Well, it was pretty much fine but I think I enjoyed myself a whole lot more when I was with you," she said smiling.

That smile…. it seemed to make my heart pound harder and faster. I suddenly couldn't look her in the face, and I felt my face go warm… I must have been red like a tomato. Peh! How ultimate life form-like!

"Hey Rouge! WASSUP?"

I instantly snapped my head to see who had called her name. It was defiantly a male, and his voice sounded very familiar. _Annoyingly_ familiar. In view came that blue hedgehog with a date of his own, Amy. She clung to his arm and then smiled spotting me, "Hi Shadow!"

Sonic scolded her, "Amy! You know you shouldn't speak of the dead like that!"

I rolled my eyes; sometimes he was quite the idiot.

"No look Sonic! It's Shadow right there!" exclaimed Amy pointing a finger at me.

"And what happens when I don't see Shadow, Amy?" said Sonic.

"Just look!" said Amy dully.

Sonic looked up and looked like he saw a ghost. At the top of his lungs, Sonic let out a, "HOLY SHIT!"

Everyone in the restaurant stopped eating and turned to stare at both him, and us. Rouge buried her face in her hands as I sighed. Already I can see that this was going to be an interesting evening.

* * *

It wasn't long until Sonic and Amy eagerly joined us at our table…although I really don't recall inviting them…. The azure hedgehog pulled up a chair and looked as eager as a child awaiting a fairytale; this was when he decided to bombard me with all his unwanted questions, "Shad, when did you come back? How did you come back? How did you survive---"

"One question at a time," I told Sonic then I paused," And my name's Shadow."

"Yeah whatever," Sonic waved off my comment, "Shad, how did you survive the fall? I surely thought your ass would have fried like eggs!"

Rouge kicked Sonic from under the table...and hard, the entire table shook, meanwhile Amy bleated out a dismayed, "Sonic!"

"What?" Sonic cried, " As if you weren't thinkin' that too!"

"Sometimes you're so dumb," Rouge growled displaying an impressive row of sharp, white fangs.

"Well….I really don't know…" I said, staring at the blue hedgehog, "and I don't remember much when I did arrive on Earth…"

"But," Rouge interrupted, "I do remember Shadow protecting me in the dark alley! He beat up those jerks like it was nothing! WHAM! BAM! POW!"

"Really?" smiled Amy.

"Well, that's nothin' special!" Sonic cried, " Ames, I've saved you millions of times from Eggman!"

The waiter arrived and took our orders. Rouge's ability to read the French menu amazed me, maybe even everyone else as well. As the night went on, Sonic began cracking jokes about any and everything, while I happily stuffed my face.

I even helped my self to the cookies. As I chomped on the biscotti cookies, I looked up and thought I saw Rouge looking up at me smiling as she rested her head in her hand. I instantly looked away and fiddled with my fork. Why did she look at me like that?

...Didn't she know it was rude to stare like that? Hmph!

It was almost eleven thirty and the faker was still at it cracking jokes. Aside from Sonic's chronic jokes, I rather enjoyed myself. I mean for the first time in my life, I did get to dance, and with a gorgeous person at that. I pretty much had no idea what was doing but with Rouge's gentle guidance, I felt as if I had been dancing for years.

"….Aren't you bored?" I asked her.

"Not at all," Rouge replied, "By the way, you're dancing lovely."

I suppose she caught the uncomfortable expression on my face, she laughed, "Well mister 'ultimate life form' you didn't know you could dance, huh? All you needed was a good teacher."

Batgirl looked up at me with happy blue eyes, almost violet from the dancing spotlights, "You're a quick learner…"

Almost uncertainly, she placed her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes, "…Thank you for the wonderful evening Shadow…you were a great date."

I also enjoyed my dinner, and ate to my fill, and I also made Rouge happy, for some reason, every time she smiled or laughed, I almost felt lighthearted. I wonder why I had this feeling around her…Being around her feels so…correct….

* * *

We had left the restaurant and grabbed a couple of scoops of ice cream. Rouge splurged on a flavor called Cookie Dough, Amy enjoyed Strawberry Shortcake and the faker had Blue Raspberry and he 'introduced' me to Fudge Delight.

"Oh _hell _yeah," Sonic said, piling on mountains of chocolate ice cream on my already full bowl, "This is where you need to go! Since you're an ice cream amateur, I'll start you with fudge, and someday, you may be able to move up to Blue Raspberry."

After ice cream, it was time to go home; Sonic walked Amy home as I was obliged to walk Rouge home. Once we arrived at her apartment she went to the door and smiled, "Thanks for the wonderful night Shadow."

I nodded to her then slowly began on my way. As I began to walk away, I heard her voice ring.

"Shadow!"

I turned to look at her and she called out again, "Shadow! Where are you going to stay tonight?"

"I don't know," I answered softly," But I'll manage."

She shook her head with a playful smile, "Well, you can stay at my place for the night,"

I turned towards her, and began to head towards her apartment. I awkwardly entered after her as she disappeared into a room. I took the time to look around the room before she returned with a couple of blankets. She set them on the couch and said, "You can sleep here...if this is good enough for the 'ultimate one'."

I removed my shoes and looked up at her, " It'll have to do."

Her laugh rang out as I lounged on the couch. Just as I was beginning to remove my tuxedo, I noticed that Rouge pointedly turned her gaze from me, "…O-Oh my, is that a speck of dust on my furnace?"

I rolled my eyes; women were so odd when it came to modesty issues. That's one thing I'll never understand about the female gender. Wait a minute, was batgirl's face red? Was she embarrassed? I couldn't help but smirk. But what do you expect? Not everyone can handle gazing upon my ultimate-ness.

"…You're free to look as you see fit." I smirked. She turned her head back in my direction. I hopped on the couch as I crossed my arms and closed my eyes, awaiting sleep to take me.

"Shadow," Rouge said softly.

Her tone was delicate enough to get me to open an eye, " Hmm?"

"Good night," she replied.

"...Hmm," I replied, feeling sleep starting to tug at my consciousness.

Seconds afterwards, I felt thick quilts embody me. I felt her weight shift from the couch and with the sound of fading footsteps, I knew that had left. So, I had some place warm to stay for the night…. So maybe this wasn't a bad day after all….

* * *

To be continued!

Chapter Two theme, "_Any Love_," Luther Vandross


	3. The unexpected visitor

_**UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

**LoVe'S bUrN **

By: UlTrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

_

* * *

_

_Knuckles's POV: _

_

* * *

_

It was dawn as the sun was beginning to rise. I felt the warmth of the sunlight fall upon me and I slowly opened my eyes. I could already tell that it was going to be another lovely day here on Angel Island.

While lying on my side, I slowly glanced over at the Master Emerald that rested on its pillar in front of me. Just looking into the green depths of the emerald reminded me of Rouge's eyes, deep and mystical.

I sighed thinking about what happened a few days ago between Rouge and myself; why did I have to be the one to watch the Master Emerald? Well, whatever happened between us certainly wasn't good and I'm undoubtedly regretting my solitude right now.

I rose to my feet and had a quick stretch before I began to walk around the Island. Just doing the usual security surveillances. I headed towards one of my favorite cliffs to view the ocean. Man was the view gorgeous!

This cliff overlooked the whole ocean and met with the sky's horizon perfectly. As I drew closer to the edge, my foot stumbled over something. I glanced down to see a couple of bags of luggage.

I took a knee to see who they belonged to, then it was clear; they belonged to Rouge. Maybe I should return them to her and just maybe give an apology as well…

* * *

After my route around the Island, I headed back towards the Master Emerald's shrine; a soft humming filled the air, "Hey, Tikal!"

A light voice answered, " Yes?"

Slowly rising from behind the Master Emerald was my friend of many years, Tikal. Looked like she was picking flowers again; the graceful monarch smiled back at me, "Good morning Knuckles, how have you been?"

Man, our friendship dates from way back. Ever since I had first seen the Master Emerald, I always remembered seeing Tikal in tow.

"I'm good, just finished my daily routes."

Whenever it's just us two on the island, I believe she's relaxed, but when a stranger, or even a common visitor like Sonic drops by, she reverts into this passive shell. Yeah, she's even stayed quiet when he's made passes at her!

_'If you stood in front of a mirror and help up eleven roses, you would see twelve of the most beautiful things in the world.' _

_'Oh...t-thank you...' _

_'...So will I see you Friday night at eight?' _

It's kinda strange, but then again what immortal being _is_ normal? I scratched the back of my head, "Umm, do you think--Could you watch the Emerald for a second? I have to take care of a few things."

"Where shall you be going? Off to visit Sonic again?" she asked, stooping to pick more flowers.

"...No, I have to go to Station Square and...see another good friend of mine."

Tikal stared at me blankly; that was her equivalence of giving me a dirty stare.

"Oh come on! Have a heart! I'll be back really quick!"

"...Are you seeking that...bat girl again?"

"Huh?"

It sounded like she had an edge to her voice. I turned my gaze to the ancient princess, for half a second it seemed as if she was giving me a cold glare. But when I looked back at her again, that icy look was gone.

...Perhaps I was imagining things...

Tikal sighed, "Go ahead...I'll watch the emerald...I suppose."

"Thanks Tikal, you're a great friend!"

"Hush, you got what you wanted; just go," Tikal muttered.

I laughed, " Don't be that way! I said I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Hmph!" Tikal crossed her arms, frowning slightly, " I truly doubt that."

I winked at the floating friend, who I think actually blushed, " W-well, just be quick Knuckles! You have your duties to attend."

"Okay, see you later!"

With a whoop, I ran off the edge of the island and plummeted. I know I must have given Tikal a heart attack there! Overlooking the edge of the island, a tan female echidna appeared, " Decease your foolish antics! You worried me!"

* * *

After taking a boat from Angel Island, I caught a plane to Station Square. The flight to Station Square was terribly crowded, and I was stuck squeezed in between two horribly overweight guys. Damn that was horrible! Well, that'll be the last time I fly coach on a twelve-hour flight!

Anyways, it was about one in the morning when I arrived at Station Square, and I was tired! I took an expensive cab over to the apartment were a good friend of mine stayed. I paid the cab driver and hopped out of the car. I walked twelve flights up the apartment's stairs and banged on the door.

No response.

I banged on the door again and I was answered by a hostile, "HOLD YOUR HORSES DAMMIT!"

The door was flung open and out came a drowsy looking blue hedgehog. It looks like good ole blue just woke up from a nap, 'cause he sure looks terrible. Note to self: remember to ask Tikal if I look _that_ horrible when I wake up.

Sonic beamed, "Hey Knux, what's up man?"

"Not much," I replied, "May I come in?"

By now, I'm more than used to Sonic's almost bipolar emotions. Sonic scratched his head, "Sure! Come on in man!"

He moved out of my way and I entered his apartment. I held my breath...

...Just what in the world was I walking into?

Magazines and dirty clothes were everywhere, soda bottles were scattered on his floor, and junk was settled through out his place. This place looked like some kind of junkyard. A poorly, unattended junkyard. Rats would refuse this place!

"Why am I not surprised," I muttered to myself.

"What was that Knux?" Sonic asked.

"Nice place you got here," I said trying to be polite, seriously biting my tongue.

"You can relax on the couch man, I'll be back with some cold ones," said Sonic disappearing into the kitchen.

I knocked all the junk off of Sonic's couch then flopped on it. Sonic shortly returned with two sodas in his hands and joined me on the couch. I frowned and inched over; I think I just sat on something. I looked over my shoulder; yep, just sat on some kind of remote.

"So, what brings you all the way out here?" he asked handing me a soda. I opened the Chaos Cola with relative ease and stared into its contents.

"Well, I think I made a huge mistake," I said. Sonic arched an eyebrow with mild interest, "You a mistake? Oh Knuckle-head...So? what was it?"

I sighed, "If you gotta know--"

"And I do," Sonic replied.

I smirked slightly; just let me finish my story you blue twit!

"I think I let Rouge get away, so hopefully, while I'm here, I can smooth things out with her," I said, swirling the soda slightly.

Sonic spit out his soda all over me and laughed uneasily, I glared at him, "You're here for Rouge eh? Well….Why don't you forget her and go after some other girl like…Amy! She's good for you!"

I laughed, forgetting to kill the blue hedgehog, " Me and her? Pssh! Yeah right! And I can't forget about Rouge! Aside from the Master Emerald, she's who I am….And why'd you spit that soda all over me?"

Sonic suddenly looked uneasy. Hmm, my guardian-sense is tingling and I think he's about to try something. And when I say 'try something' this can consist of: lying, trying to change the topic, or the most annoying one yet...

"Well the shower's down the hall to the left man!" Sonic spluttered, "Oh man! Look at the time! I gotta get my sleep on! Later man!"

...Running off. Before I could say anything else he zipped off. See, I knew it; the instincts never fail me.

"Dammit! He knows I hate when he does that!" I growled.

I uncrossed my arms and went to use his shower, which was much dirtier than his living room by the way. I turned on the hot water and sighed, " Well, at least this works..."

* * *

After taking my shower I was beat, so even Sonic's tarnished couch would do. I plopped face first into his couch and drifted off into sleep.

"Mmm, so...tired...I'll kill Sonic...tomorrow..." I grunted.

I failed to mention that in the middle of what was beginning to be a relaxing shower, the hot water stopped working...Guess how much fun that was! Just as I was about to holler at Sonic and force him to fix his shower, I slipped on a bar of soap and landed flat on my back.

And instead of being concerned, the blue devil appeared laughing his head off. I couldn't offer the blue idiot a good chase, so I settled for the couch, as I mentioned earlier...

I'll get him later...

* * *

I heard glass break and I was instantly awoke, ready to crush some skulls. I looked around furiously and spotted Sonic. I couldn't help but grin evilly, I was gonna get that blue jerk!

"'Morning Knux!" he smiled dropping another plate, "Damn! To make a truce, I thought I'd make you breakfast."

Damn! Foiled again, "...Do you have pancake mix?"

"Hey, you're with Sonic the Hedgehog, I got all the goods!" Sonic replied smiling, the blue hedgehog dropped yet another dish, "Shoot!"

I rubbed my eyes and made my way to his table, "Get plastic."

"Bah plastic," Sonic said waving his hand as if shooing away a fly, " Plastic is made for children with...greasy, unstable, little...fingers."

Sonic watched another dish hit the floor and I looked up at him, "Exactly..."

Then Sonic spun to face me, startling the living daylight out of me...he has to be one of the most random and strangest people I know. Like I said, I'm used to his mercurial mood swings, but this is just ridiculous!

"You, Knuckles, are one of the few privileged Mobians," said Sonic changing topics.

"Oh? How?" I asked.

"You, my tall red brotha, get to witness Grand-Master-Chef Sonic in action!" he said pointing to me.

"...And this better be good," I replied, " Don't think I'm over what happened yesterday."

He started juggling eggs in the air while I watched slightly amused. Eventually he started walking my direction and was juggling over my head. He was starting to cross into my personal bufferzone now. And I mean no one crosses into my personal bufferzone. If he wasn't my friend, he'd probably be dead by now.

"Sonic I swear…if you even…."

Before I could finish I felt four eggs splatter on my head. He fell to the floor laughing.

"Why you cheap little wench!" I laughed. I rose from my seat and instantly pounced on him and wrestled him playfully.

* * *

Once we had finished eating his burnt _and_ nasty breakfast, which I'm surprised my systems didn't dump out right then and there, we both went out to the park to play catch. Why play catch? I honestly don't know; it was Sonic's idea. He's the guy who comes up with random stuff to do.

"So, you're really here for Rouge, huh?" asked Sonic who threw me the football.

"Yeah, I have to patch things up with her, and hopefully, she'll forgive me," I said returning the throw to him.

Sonic caught the ball and frowned, as if thinking of something, I interrupted his thoughts; what is with him lately? It's as if he's hiding something from me, "What are you thinkin' about?"

"Nothing," Sonic said shaking his head, as if clearing his thoughts, "So, what aces do you have up your sleeves?"

I smirked, "Well, just maybe this lil' ole cologne-sprayed poem from da Knux-man will win her over!"

Sonic laughed, "Knux, you are a ladies' man!"

* * *

It was about four in the afternoon when I reached Rouge's apartment. I was climbing up a flight of stairs to get to her apartment. I saw her feminine silhouette and smiled. As I continued up the stairs, I stopped immediately once I saw another one; it wasn't anything like Rouge's; it was taller and stronger.

It was definitely a male's silhouette. The door was beginning to click and like a reflex, I ran down the stairs to hide. I peered around the corner of the apartment building to see Rouge and the guy walking close together. From seeing his spine, I assumed he was a hedgehog...

I watched as Rouge and the black male hedgehog entered the car together and drove off laughing. Once I was sure I was safe from being spotted, I came out from hiding and stood where her car once was. I clenched my fists while my narrowed eyes followed the car. Who was that guy?

And what was he doing with MY Rouge? Well, whatever the reason, it's my job to find out!

* * *

To be continued!

Chapter three theme: "_End Of The Road_" -Boys 2 Men


	4. The unexpected twist of fate!

_**UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

**LoVe'S bUrN **

By: UlTrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

_

* * *

_

_Rouge's POV: _

_

* * *

_

Well, it's another gorgeous day here in Station Square as Shadow and I are heading off to the drycleaners. I looked over at him and I couldn't help smiling when I thought about how much fun it's been having him around the house…

It's like he made all my troubles with Knuckles disappear. It seems like everyday he brings something new to my life. My thoughts were interrupted once Shadow asked a question, "So why are we going to the drycleaners?"

I frowned, "Well, one of us has to wear clothes, right?"

Shadow smirked, "Well, you don't have to…"

I laughed heartily, "That would be indecent! Oh Shadow, you're too much! Really you are! Are you coming in?"

"Nope," he answered putting his hands behind his head.

Hmph, why that lazy ass!

"Fine, I'll be back in a sec, okay?" I said closing the car door.

I entered the drycleaners and went to pick up my new clean outfits. It was relatively empty in the place, so I was able to head to the front of the pick up line. I handed the employee my ticket and she disappeared. I patiently drummed my fingers against the marble counter until I heard a voice, "Hey!"

I turned my head to find the owner and there were two male foxes beaming. They both appeared to be around my age. Sighing inwardly, I politely turned to face them, " Hmm?"

"Hey Miss? Need any help? Is the service slow?" the indigo fox asked.

Before I could reply, he finished, "Don't worry baby, come over here and you'll get _all _the fast service you'll need. I'll be your employee of the month, all right."

The indigo fox made a disgusting gesture involving his pelvis and his other friend giggled. Flushing from anger, I scowled and flipped them off. I heard more cackles arise from their party, but I paid them no heed as I turned to watch the television. Looked like one of those talk shows was on.

I sighed...Well, it certainly beat listening to those two pervs behind me. Oddly enough, just as I was getting glued to the show an announcement appeared, interrupting the program.

Now I was really mad!

Damn! Just when things between the father-mother-son love triangle was getting interesting! I turned up the volume on the small television and on the screen was a group of scientists who spoke of Shadow! Oy, that wasn't good...They warned that he was a danger to society and if anyone knew Shadow's location, they should immediately contact their labs.

It was a quick blip on the television and in the next second, it was gone. I paid the store manager and left to the parking lot. I frowned, there was always something going on with Shadow. I sighed and popped in the car, '_Why can't they just leave him alone? He doesn't deserve this_!'

...Anyways, I opened the door, got in, and drove off.

I was silent the whole ride thinking about what I just saw at the drycleaners. Those jerks! Why are they after him now? He hasn't even done anything! My thoughts dispersed when Shadow asked," So, how about we go to the gym?"

I almost jumped from the sudden subject Shadow had presented. Here he had been silent the entire ride and now he suddenly decided that he wanted to go to the gym.

I flashed him a slow, sweeping gaze; he was reclined comfortably in his seat, arms resting behind his head and legs crossed. His eyes were focused on me, masked with a cool, expressionless facade.

...I quickly turned to look away from him, goosebumps bubbling along my arms. Sometimes the guy was just straight creepy!

"The gym? Why?" I asked curiously, trying to keep a steady voice. Shadow studied me a second longer, then found it appropriate to speak, "Because, I have to keep my skills sharp," he answered, then smirked, "I _am_ the ultimate life form."

Ah yes, I forgot it was Shadow I'm dealing with here...possibly the most conceited person in the universe. Next to me! We are a match made in Heaven. On second thought, let's just disregard that last statement.

I laughed, "Well, _that's_ true. I guess we can both go together, it'll be fun! Just let me change into my gym clothes first."

I smiled, '_Going to the gym would be a great way for me to forget about this whole scientist mess_!'

* * *

After opening the door with my master key, I entered my cool apartment. I was welcomed by the soft scent of lilacs. Seconds later, Shadow entered quietly, examining everything closely as he always does; he's just straight anal. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, not from anger, but from being in thought, " If we're going to the gym, batgirl, then why are we here?"

I smiled, maybe I should have some fun with this guy first, "Just wait here," As expected, I didn't go half an inch further without Shadow's interrogation, "I want an answer _now_, batgirl."

I stifled a giggle but can you blame me? He was so easy to rile up! Now that I had him right where I wanted, it was time to push his buttons, only the way a pro like me could!

"Look, just sit there, shut up, and look pretty and _I'll _tell _you_ when and where you're going to get an answer."

For once I found Shadow speechless, he stared at me and as I turned my back to him, I thought I saw something behind his eyes flicker. I turned to look forward...only to see Shadow in front of me.

I gasped and began to back away. Soon enough I found that I had backed myself into one of my sofas as he advanced. I fell and landed on the couch. When I looked up I found myself pinned by Shadow, his face only mere inches from mine.

"...Really? Would you like to repeat that again, batgirl?" he cooed, an arch smile revealing itself on his face.

I felt my face rose and I beamed a small smile, "...I need to find my gym clothes...a little distance please?"

Without another word he rose to his feet and sauntered off. I sighedand shook my head, clearing out all my foolish thoughts. _I'll never understand that hedgehog._ Slowly I closed my bedroom door and rummaged through my drawers. I found an outfit and I got changed into a black tank top and black biker shorts.

I searched around in my bathroom for two towels. Once I found a pair, I walked into the living and stopped in front of the TV, there I found Shadow residing.

"Ready?" I asked. He was silently looking at me; the way an artist would study his art, I fought hard against the urge to blush and fortunately for me he finally replied, "Always."

* * *

_At the Station Square Gym... _

_

* * *

_

It was a few minutes until we arrived at the gym. I showed my membership card at the counter and bought one for Shadow. Just as the clerk behind the counter gave him a card, he mumbled a word, one I thought was very naughty. I blinked and looked at him.

"What was that Shadow?"

"Did you see that loser?" Shadow hiked his thumb behind himself, "That guy was all over you."

I burst out laughing, "No he wasn't!"

"Yes he was."

"No he wasn't!

"Yes he was. Tell the fool to keep his eyes in his head next time."

I giggled and smiled at him; if I didn't know any better, I'd think he was being protective. Shadow? Protective? Nah. Besides, what is there to be protective over?

"So, where do you wanna begin?" I asked.

"Where do you want to begin?" he countered.

...Sometimes it seemed like you could never get a straight answer out of him! I laughed, " Still sore from earlier today?"

The king of the world choose not to reply. I shrugged thoughtlessly. "Well, I personally prefer strengthening my legs, as for you?"

"...I guess I'll join you," he said shrugging.

We both hopped on exercising bikes and rode a couple of miles together while watching TV. Also, I even had the chance to strike up a genuine conversation with him. Of course I provided ninety percent of the dialogue in our conversation.

"...So I was telling Amy that she needed to know that Sonic wasn't some sort of pet you could take care of. You won't believe me when I say that she actually tried to buy him a collar!"

"You don't say," Shadow replied blandly.

He got up off the bike and left. I stopped riding...He just up and left in the middle of my-er our conversation!...

"...Where are you going?" I asked him.

"Somewhere..." he replied.

See, _no_ straight answers!

A few minutes later, with mild curiosity, I followed him and found the black hedgehog in a ring. He was throwing punches at air and maneuvering around the ring skillfully. I circled around the ring and called him, "So, I see you found your way to the ring."

He stopped his fighting and turned to face me. His lean, powerful frame settled into a comfortable stance as he approached me. I smiled, watching him striding toward me. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that his walk had just developed an arrogant strut.

Geez, really now! What is it with guys and their egos!?

"Don't you think you're going too hard at this? I mean I don't even think you have your full strength back yet," I said to him.

He smiled and leaned against a ring post, "Are you challenging me, batgirl?"

"I don't know, am I?" I smiled.

I stepped into the ring and my gaze fell upon the dark, muscular hedgehog. He rested his arms across his chest with a smirk, "Will you be able to keep up?"

I smiled, "Oh just shut up and fight!"

Smiling darkly, he drew into a fighting stance, " Lemme show you my real power!"

I started my attack by charging at Shadow. Even though all my attacks were lightning fast, he skillfully dodged them all. I tried to paint a kick across his torso, but missed because of his agility. He gave me a leg sweep and I fell flat on my back. I yelped as crash-landed with the air knocked from my lungs.

As I blinked into the bright fluorescent lights, a smirking Shadow loomed, his smile was venomous, "Give up yet?"

"Not in your wildest dreams," I hissed.

I pounced up and threw a punch at him and he countered by grabbing my hand. I threw another punch with my other hand and he caught that too. I tried to free myself from his grasp, but I couldn't, his strength overpowered my own.

As I continued to struggle to break free, my eyes slowly met Shadow's. I had lost all my thoughts staring into his deep crimson eyes. I felt my grip in his hands relax, as I felt my intensity doing the same.

Before long, I suddenly felt my predator instincts kick back in and almost involuntarily I sprung my foot into his stomach. His grip on my hands dropped and I quickly stood up and belted him across his jaw.

"Yow! You're ruthless!" Then he smiled wickedly, "_That,_ _I admire in a woman_!"

He cracked his neck several of times, grossing me out, I might add, then he charged full speed at me and I shield myself. I dropped my defensive position and turned to my left, but he wasn't there! I turned back the other way and he was right behind me...smirking. What he did must've been some kind of illusion!

I growled and before I could come at him I felt a fast and powerful blow across my sternum. Wincing from the blow, I stumbled backwards and Shadow followed that attack with a strong kick to my chest. (That hurt a lot!) I grimaced as I felt my spine hit the ring post. I looked up to see Shadow charging at me again, and I took him off guard by slide-tackling him. We both hopped to our feet and I planted a roundhouse across his face.

"Oh that's it Rouge!" he barked.

I smiled coyly, meaning to mock, " My, my, you finally called me by my first name." Shadow merely returned a dark smile, so I continued, " So what will it take in order to get you to _turn off the damn lights when you leave a room!_?"

This time he seemed to have ran twice as fast as before and I knew this next attack would hurt. It was inevitable to avoid and I gasped, failing my arms and shaking my head in an attempt to stop him.

"No! Shadow stop!" I cried.

Shadow was trying to skid to a stop but he had been moving too fast. And it took him to be within ten feet of me to realize this as well, " Shhhhhhhhhhhiiiiii—"

POWWW! He had tackled both of us out of the ring and I landed flat on my back with him on top of me. My eyelids slowly fluttered open as I found myself in great pain and discomfort.

My eyes fell upon Shadow who too looked like he was in great pain. I felt something warm upon my chest and I blushed a red crimson once I realized his left hand was on my chest.

Ack! I'm so embarrassed!

"…" Shadow removed his hand. He turned away from me and closed his eyes, rubbing his left arm…_was he blushing too_? We both stood in complete silence.

"Maybe we should go now…" I said blushing.

"R-right" Shadow finished coughing, covering the break in his voice.

* * *

… Ahem, anyways, it was about 10:30 in the evening when we arrived back at the apartments from seeing a corny horror movie and buying some takeout and.

"Oh yeah, that movie was certainly worth 3.50...my ass!" Shadow exclaimed.

I burst out laughing and this seemed to encourage him more. "I mean, if I wanted to see some guy get his ass kicked by pink jelly, I'd just need to go watch Sonic try to eat a jelly sandwich!"

I laughed some more then plopped on my couch. I sighed and my happiness disappeared once I thought of those awful scientists. Shadow stared at me, I guess trying to read my thoughts...then started to slink off.

"Hey, where are you going?" I asked him.

"To take a shower," he answered heading to my room.

I sat down and watched TV for awhile until Shadow called, "Rouge, could you bring me a towel?"

"Sure," I replied. I grabbed a few towels and entered my bathroom. I came in and saw Shadow out of the shower stroking his wet quills. I heard myself gasp and I felt my face redden. It was strange, I don't understand why I felt so embarrassed seeing him like this...I had seen him plenty of times.

...Like this...

But maybe it was because the water-soaked fur clung to his skin and revealed every powerful muscle that Shadow had. Thankfully the black hedgehog seemed too busy notice. Then he looked at me and caught my wandering eyes, "Rouge..."

I snapped to attention, appearing even redder than before, now I was more than sure he realized what I had been doing. He smirked knowingly and replied, " Leave the towels by the sink."

"O-oh sure," I said handing the towels to him. Before I could leave the room, I heard a, "Why so sad Rouge?"

I turned to face him and sighed, it was about time he found out anyways, "Well, it's actually bec--"

Before I could say anything, a wave of water had splashed me directly in the face. I looked over at Shadow who was smiling demonically at me while holding the showerhead.

I smiled, "Aww hell no! You're gonna get it now!" I picked up a near by bucket, filled it with water, and splashed it all over Shadow's face.

He then retaliated by lashing me again with an even harder cascade of water. I fell over laughing and drowned him with more water, and we fought on for hours.

"You better stop! Hedgehog's can't swim!"

"With this kind of speed, I'll have more water over your head than the Atlantic ocean."

* * *

By now it was late in the night and we were both dripping wet. And we were both giggling like idiots. And believe it or not, Shadow was pretty giddy as well... Maybe too much water went into his head? I threw him a towel as I used one to dry myself off as well.

"Oh Shadow…that was fun! I've never done anything like that in a long time!" I laughed hugging him.

"Me either," Shadow replied.

I realized I had my arms wrapped around him in a hug and I let go and we both exchanged smiles. My smile grew; did Shadow the Hedgehog actually give me a sheepish grin? It was so cute! He should smile more often.

"Well, goodnight…er…Shadow…" I said standing up.

"Rouge…" He called.

I spun around, "Yes?"

He looked like he wanted to say something but his words didn't come out, "Um…Good night Rouge," He said.

When I turned back to him, I saw him mouth a profanity. I smiled then closed my door. I changed into my PJs and hopped in bed and hugged my pillow, thinking '_What was he going to say to me?_' I sighed then pulled my covers over me and I fell asleep.

* * *

It was about seven in the morning when I woke up. Today I was going to jog at the park. So I quietly changed into my orchid jogging outfit and snuck out past a snoozing Shadow. Before I closed the door I glanced over at him and smiled, he looks so cute when he sleeps!

Did I really think that Shadow was cute?

Anyways, I locked the door and headed towards the local park. Once I arrived there I quickened my pace as I ran the park's trail.

'_Wow I had fun yesterday_!' I thought with a smile, _'How does Shadow do it? I mean I feel so safe around him! And we're always having fun! I can't wait to see what he's got planned for today!' _

While jogging I heard a deep voice bark, "Rouge!"

Smiling, I turned around and gasped due to what I saw. Walking towards me was none other than that tall red echidna, Knuckles.

* * *

To be continued!

Chapter Four Theme: _'Naughty girl'_-Beyonce (Yup! Had ta do it!)


	5. Their first kiss!

_**UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

**LoVe'S bUrN **

By: UlTrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

_

* * *

_

_Shadow's POV: _

_

* * *

_

It was another new day I had awakened to and it was completely silent in the apartment. I quietly sat up and stretched. I decided to have a look around and to my surprise there was no batgirl rummaging around.

Usually she woke me up in the mornings from making such loud noises. I have the ultimate ears and I hear all. Now then, it was time to start my day; I drowsily stood up and decided to search for her.

_'If I can find Rouge then we could go out together_.'

I quickly halted in my tracks and frowned, _'Of course it wouldn't be any semblance of a **date** whatsoever_, _we find a place to eat, do it, then bam, we're on our way out.' _

Continuing my search for Rouge, I also decided that that was the last time I'd use 'bam' in that context. After I had did a through search of the apartment (and come up short), I decided to check in her room. If batgirl found me entering her quarters, she'd beat me like a filthy rug.

_'On the other hand_,' I couldn't help but smirk, _'I've always hoped of having a walk-in on batgirl.' _

I slowly cracked the bedroom door to reveal a vacant, violet room. The last time I was in this room was when Rouge first fed me her soup from hell. While examining the room, I couldn't help but notice how spotless her room was. It was good enough for my standards of cleanliness.

Then I spotted a half-way made bed.

Well, almost.

Studying her bed closer I found a small, mauve note. Is everything in her house purple!? I shook my head dismissively and retrieved the note; the handwritten cursive was beautiful unlike my small, mechanical print.

The letter read:

"_Dear Shadow, _

_I left the apartment for a morning jog, and I'll be back around noon_._ If you're hungry, (Like I know you are) be sure to help yourself to the fridge. Ciao! _

_PS: LEAVE SOME SUBSTANCE IN THE FRIDGE INTACT!" _

I closed up the note and smirked, she knew me all too well. My first stop was to invade the fridge. Sorry batgirl, but no one controls the ultimate life form. With that out of the way, I commenced operation: nuke Rouge's fridge.

* * *

After wiping the fridge clean, I decided to leave and get some fresh air. While heading towards the exit I happened to look up at a clock and saw that it was already one in the afternoon.

'_That's funny, she should have been home an hour ago._'

I sighed then closed the door to the apartment. This will be interesting to see how fast I find batgirl; I'm a fighter not a tracker. However, the ultimate life form is good at all he does.

* * *

After leaving, I decided to have a look around Station Square in hope of finding batgirl. I searched for what seemed like endless hours, so I decided to take a break. My next stop was the nearest malt shop. I took a seat in at the front counter.

"Welcome sir, can I help you?"

"...What do you recommend?" I asked.

"How about today's special."

I could see that I was going to need my patience today; this guy was dense, " _And that is_?"

"The Super Oreo Shake, sir," he replied.

"Fine, I'll take that then, and if it's not good, I'm coming for your head."

The employee laughed, but I remained stone-faced. I was dead serious with that threat. He quickly turned and left, attending my order I presume. It was a few seconds later that he returned with my order. As I drank my shake I began to study the surroundings. This place was kind of small, couldn't hold more than twenty people. I looked beside me and there was a little girl sitting next to me spinning in her chair.

Deep brown eyes looked into mine and she smiled, I couldn't help but smile back when I saw that she was missing her two front teeth. While sipping my shake, I heard a soft murmuring from the other customers. Some of the people began to turn up the volume on the small television.

It was some kind of ad for some wanted convict, but why should I care? Besides, I had Rouge to find. As usual, I paid no attention to the TV or the people for that matter. I turned to pay the shop owner, but he was on the phone, and everyone in the shop was giving me these strange looks.

I scoffed, well, whatever, I had no more time to waste, so I left my money on the counter and left the shop. No sooner had I left the building I heard sirens wailing and I looked up to see police cars arriving and officers cocking their guns at me. Shit! How could they have known where I was? I turned around to look back at the shop to see the shop owner and customers talking to police officers.

Then, it hit me; those people in the malt shop must have seen a wanted ad about me! The worker must have called the police when the ad played on the television. How could I have been so stupid and oblivious?

" Stop where you are and put your hands up, or else we will be forced to shoot!" a policeman yelled, interrupting my thoughts.

I got a better look at the officers; across their trucks and on their vests were a word I knew well, " G.U.N."

Oh hell no, not these bastards again. I need to get out of here! Now! I clenched my fist as I looked around furiously. '_Well, it's either run or get tagged by the cops_…'

Well, I made my decision and that was to do what I do best. Run. Put motion and energy to the muscles in my legs and soar. Somehow, with a good combination of strength and determination I had managed to blow right past them. But of course, they continued to pursue me, "STOP NOW! WE'RE GONNA FIRE AT WILL!"

* * *

While traveling I found a large, loud crowd to get lost in.

Perfect.

I quickly squeezed myself into the crowd of people to see if I could escape those damn cops. The officers appeared searching around the crowd furiously. Taking a few minutes afterwards, I found my escape and headed into the Station Square park. If I got far enough, I'd surely lose them. Then I came to a complete stop when something caught my eye.

I spotted Rouge…

...with Knuckles...

What's going on here? I felt my heart starting to beat so fast that I thought it was going to leap from my chest. Whatever was going on, it was going to become my business. As soon as I was about to walk over to Rouge, I felt a searing pain tear through my arm; I cried out in pain and plummeted to the ground.

I raised my arm. I had been shot.

Grimacing, I held my hand over my wound as I watched the blood tickle from it. I heard footsteps approaching and I looked up. It was Rouge. She must've heard me.

" Shadow," she gasped, " your arm!"

She squatted beside me and gently took hold of my arm. I slowly lifted my tongue to speak, but the G.U.N. decided to act next, " Surrender, Shadow the Hedgehog, or we shall open fire again!"

Rouge's eyes widened, " Wh-what's going on here? They shot you? When there was no hostile resistance?!"

"...G.U.N...", was the only word I could manage at the time. And I think that was enough. Batgirl knew what kind of people they were.

Sapphire eyes flickered; Batgirl grabbed my arm and looked up towards the police, a new determination sparkled in her eyes. Immediately I knew she was already formulating a plan in that head of hers.

"We gotta get you outta here," she said, " Be prepared."

With that note she rose to her full height, spread her feet apart, threw her hand forward and commanded, "Black Wave!"

The G.U.N. officers were violently knocked off their feet and they hit the ground hard. While they moaned and splurged curses of pain, Rouge grabbed my wrist and we ran. ...I more so limped than anything. While running, Rouge reached an alley, scanning the area. We heard the sound of approaching sirens and she made her decision, " Quick! This way!"

We ducked into the dark alleyway and we hid behind a dumpster. Both of us waited there silently for hours and by the time the coast was clear the street lamps had began to glow. It was officially nightfall. Batgirl turned to face me, apprehensive eyes colored ginger from the street lights, "Are you okay?"

"Fine," I said solemnly.

"Here, let me see your arm," she coaxed, " I'll be gentle."

I gave into her will and allowed her to take my arm. She scooted closer to me to get a better look. A strange sensation began to stir in my chest, and I suddenly felt uneasy. The last person I had let this close to me was my good friend Maria and I had never felt this strange, emotion around her.

I shook my head, regaining my sense, I had been having these abstract thoughts as of recently. My narrowed my eyes slightly. _Get a grip over yourself! You are the ultimate life form and have control over all things that you can. So get with it! _

"Nothing too serious," batgirl said more so to herself. I then looked up at her once a thought hit me. I needed to know about her and Knuckles, just was going on before I had arrived at the scene, "Batgirl?"

She looked at me, "Hmm?"

" So, what's up with you and Knuckles?"

She fell silent.

"N-nothing…," she quickly tried to change where our conversation was headed, "but we really need to get you to a hospital!"

She's good, but _I'm_ better.

"No, not before you answer my question," I said.

"Well, everything's fine between us! Really!" she said. I lowered my eyelids; I knew she lying. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's spotting a lie...Why do you think I hound on that faker so much?

"Well, every time you speak of him, you always seem like you're gonna cry, now really, what's going on between you two?" I asked irritated.

She was about to answer, but the cry of the police sirens wailed through the night air. We crouched down and moved closer to each other. I looked over at her expectantly, "Well?"

Rouge starts up, "Knuckles… and…I…"

She fell silent and a look of pain came over her face, then she began to cry. I looked at her in surprise.

"Oh Shadow, we broke up, and he doesn't want me anymore!"

"Good, if he doesn't want you anymore, then you shouldn't waste your brain cells on him," I replied.

Her eyes were suddenly ablaze, " I bet you're happy now! You're probably thinking, 'Ha! Look at that stupid batgirl! Love is such a stupid emotion! You probably never even experienced it before!'"

Now I was livid, I rose to my feet and began to walk away, taking furious stomps along the way; batgirl followed me close in pursuit and continued, " Am I right Shadow? Love is stupid? Or do you not know what it is?"

I snapped around to face batgirl, " Who the hell do you think you are? What? You want me to cry for your relationship? When I'm here with a bullet lodged in my skin?"

Rouge crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, " Where's your sympathy? Is your heart really made of stone? Or are you just jealous?"

I took a step inward towards the white bat, "Yeah, _like _I'd be jealous of that echidna!"

By now we were both glaring at each other deeply. A couple of inches away from each other. I could nearly feel heat and passion between us radiating between us. Heat? Passion? Then suddenly, I found myself disregarding everything, letting wild instincts kick in as I found myself locking lips hungrily with batgirl.

Just as soon as it happened I regained control and broke it off, panting. We both looked at each other, the element of surprise on both of our faces. I even think I saw a trace of rose around Rouge's face.

"Wh-what was that for!" she panted, one hand pressed against her heaving chest. She looked half bewildered and maybe delighted? For once I found myself wordless. I truly had no idea where that came from.

...But I hate to admit that it was nice.

Batgirl turned her back to me and threw her hands in the air exasperatedly, " See! This is why I can't keep a relationship!"

She found a solid cardboard box and sat on it, looking despaired, "...Not that I have one anymore...Why I bet he came to the park to tell me how worthless I am!" She laughed, oddly enough tears pouring out of her eyes like rain, "And he'd be right! I am worthless! I'm just a lowlife slu--"

I quickly interrupted her. I took a knee to be on her level. I slowly wiped her tears away with my thumb, "You're not worthless, why would you say something dumb like that, Rouge?"

"Thanks Shadow, you're so sweet, " then a small smile appeared on her face, "That's another time you didn't call me 'batgirl'..."

I blinked; how very true.

She slowly wiped her tears away, and I rested my hands on my bent knee. Damn I hated to see her cry. I wish I could do something for her. I slowly turned my vision onto the girl in front of me, I almost jumped out of my shoes when I saw that she was returning my gaze.

"Umm, Shadow?" Rouge asked slowly.

"Yes?" I replied.

Avoiding eye contact, Rouge rubbed her left arm shyly, "Umm, how about we go for round..."

I smirked, _'To hell with these macho feelings_.'

"...and---mmph!"

I cut Rouge off mid-sentence with a kiss. Her blush cleared and she closed her eyes. All the emotions I had inside for her had came out. This kiss with Rouge was probably the best moment in my life and I didn't want it to end. Before I could wrap my arms around her waist, she quickly cupped her arms around my neck.

...I certainly had no problems with her aggressiveness. We both kissed hungrily under the moon, but that was all shattered once a certain red echidna hovering over us saw this, and his eyes glowed green with jealousy.

* * *

To be continued!

Chapter Five Theme: _'Its in his Kiss'_- Cher (Ha!)


	6. A new proposal

_**UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

**LoVe'S bUrN **

By: UlTrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

_

* * *

_

_Knuckles' POV: _

_

* * *

_

It was all still very blurry to me; how could she have done that to me?

* * *

_I remember seeing Rouge enter a park and I followed her. Man, I felt so nervous, but I had to make my move. With orchids hidden behind my back and sweat on my brow, I gathered enough courage to call Rouge's name. _

_She whipped around to face me with a look of shock as I slowly approached. Before she could say anything, I handed her the orchids and gave her a peck on the cheek. _

_She blushed a deep fuchsia and stammered, "Kn-knuckles, y-you're here? And you bought these flowers for me? I'm so lost!" _

_I smiled. "Rouge, I came back because I realized what I had lost...and I'm sorry for being such a jerk, so from now on, I'll always put you first in my life." _

_Rouge shook her head. "Oh Knuckles, I don't know what to say.." _

_"Say you'll take me back, and be my queen," I said softly. _

_We gazed at each other deeply, I smirked, I could tell she was falling for me...Before she could reply, a shot rang out and I heard a cry. We both turned towards the cry and I saw a bleeding hedgehog fall to the floor. _

_"No!" she cried. _

_Rouge ran over to him while I looked around to see what was going on, and it seemed to me that the police had shot the fool. I gazed at Rouge who was now talking to the black hedgehog. _

_Now, why'd that guy look familiar? Ah yes, he was the same guy I had seen at Rouge's apartment. _

_...The bastard... _

_Before I could say anything to this chum, Rouge had performed the Black Wave. The aura of the attack violently knocked the police off their feet and I fell from the attack as well. Although I was in pain, I was able to look up and see Rouge and the black hedgehog running away from the pursuing police. _

_I had quickly run after them in hope of finding Rouge before the pissed cops did. I searched the city frantically, calling her name every five minutes. I had been looking so hard for Rouge that I had lost all track of time and not realized how dark it was getting. _

_Well, it was getting late, and I felt my legs begging to give, so I decided that it'd be best to head back to Sonic's place. While going on my way, I heard whispering voices, so in curiosity I followed the two voices into a dark alley. That's when I saw it. _

_There in the darkness was Rouge kissing that black hedgehog. There, at that very moment, I realized that she didn't care for me anymore...I felt my heart ice over, and my blood boiled as I gritted my teeth. I looked at the orchids and threw them to the floor; apparently this was over between us. _

_

* * *

_

I shook my head as the same burning image kept replaying in my head. How could she do this to me? I just spilled my heart out to her, so what does she do, she smashes it.

Typical, huh? I sighed then turned to the bartender who was busy drying out glasses. He turned to look at me with a look that read, '_What do you want kid?' _Smiling dryly, I tapped the counter, signaling that I wanted another drink.

"Kid, you just had three shots of vodka straight, are you sure you want more? It's unhealthy," he scolded.

"Just bring me another damn drink," I hissed.

The bartender shrugged and gave me another glass of vodka straight. I knocked all the other used glasses off of the counter and took another hit.

I winced from the strength of the vodka straight and I heard a hearty laugh. I turned to the stool to my left to see a familiar face.

...An _unwanted_ familiar face.

"Eggman?" I asked, surprised that he could fit on the stool.

I hope all the disdain in my voice didn't show up too much.

...Eh, then again, if it ran him off...

He smiled; damn, looked like there wasn't enough after all, "Hello Knuckles, how have you been?"

I stared, no _glared_ at him for a good five minutes. That question was like asking how a mouse caught in a mouse trap felt.

However, that wasn't the only reason I glared at him; underneath that friendly, ice-breaking question was a desire. He wanted something from me. "Whatever it is, it's a _hell_ no," I replied pointing my index finger at him.

"Well, I'm fine too, thank you very much," he said with half a chuckle. I glared at the doctor yet again; who in the world does he think he's gonna fool?

"What do you want?" I asked irately, "Why are you here?"

"Well, other than making sure you don't kill yourself from alcohol poisoning, I wanted to offer you a partnership," he said, taking a sip of his wine.

See, I knew he wanted something. Nowadays whenever people are nice and friendly, they want something. Sad isn't it, but its the truth.

"Oh? And what's that?" I said eying him.

"Well, my dear echidna, I was wondering whether you'd be in for helping me with world domination," he said inspecting his wine glass.

World domination? Why should I not be surprised? But then again who comes to a bar and asks someone, 'Hey! Wanna go rule the world together?'

" Up to your old tricks again, eh? So why not get Sonic, he's damn fast," I said hiccupping. Eggman laughed, although I didn't mean to amuse him.

"Well, having Sonic work with me would be nice, but let's be real now, he'd never cooperate with me. Hell, he wouldn't even order pizza with me."

I couldn't help but laugh, mentally picturing the two trying to order pizza together. Just think how stupid it would be to picture Sonic holding a phonebook while Eggman dialed the numbers meticulously.

"That's true. Well, I may be a little tipsy, but I'm still not drunk enough to work with you, Doc. I'm outta here," I said.

I gave the doctor a fake salute, then rose from my stool and started on my way. But I soon halted in my tracks when I felt something cold and clammy grab my arm, "Just who in the hell do you think--"

"Knuckles, I know about what happened tonight." Eggman said gently.

If it wasn't for Eggman's solid grip on my arm, I just might have fallen over, " Wh-what?"

"Knuckles, I said I know what happened tonight."

I instantly broke loose from Eggman's drip, spun around, and hoisted him into the air by his collar. If I'm strong enough to break boulders with my bare fists than I'm certainly more than qualified to haul fatty into the air, "_What about tonight!_?"

As clamor began to fill the room, I realized that I had caused a scene and people were trying to coax me out of hurting the doctor. Well, attracting attention is the last thing I need at the moment. I slowly released my grip on Eggman's collar and slowly, the crowd dispersed.

Surprisingly enough, Eggman was still in good humor, "Perhaps you'd like to chat some place more private?"

I was out of options, or lonely, or drunk, or maybe a little bit of all three, "...Whatever..."

* * *

I followed the whistling doctor across the street to a more so diner-type of place. I ended up trailing him to the check-in where a waitress stood, beaming amiably, " Hello! Welcome boys!"

"Good evening Miss--" Eggman paused deliberately.

" Charlotte, I'll be your waitress for the evening," she paused, " A table for two?"

"Please."

"Any preferences as where you'd gentlemen would like to sit?"

"Hmm, perhaps one of the corners Charlotte, my friend he's a little shy."

Both Eggman and Charlotte laughed as I stared with a look on my face that had to look like a deer in the headlights. Excuse me, but was Eggman being charming?

Yeah, he was, in fact he was laughing and making jokes with Charlotte. You know, a person would never know that is was the same guy that tried to take over the world day in and day out.

"Aw, that's all right!" Charlotte replied, tossing a wink my direction, " Follow me. boys."

We followed the bubbly waitress to a small, wooden table. She plucked out a pen and paper and looked at us, " What would you fellas like to drink?"

" Coffee, black with milk," Eggman replied smiling.

" Do you serve anything strong?" I asked.

The waitress blinked, " Um, like what sir?"

Mentally I sighed; like I was going to say, 'Yeah, start me off with some beer! And swill in some vodka! So I can be so drunk, that by the end of the evening I won't be able to see straight!'

"Umm, this'll sound weird but could you mix pepsi and black coffee together so all that caffeine could...make a very strong drink?"

Charlotte's beam could have lit up an entire stadium, " Sure, only 'cause you're so shy! I'll be back with your drinks in a second!"

Once she disappeared from sight, Eggman turned to face me, " Pepsi and black coffee?"

I opened the menu, not actually studying its contents but more so grazing it, "...Don't you in any way think this is informal, we're here for business. You don't like me and I don't like you; so this is business."

Although I didn't look at the doctor, I could hear the smile in his voice, "A man who knows what he wants, impressive."

"Good and I'll stay on that track by asking, what do you know about what happened this evening?" I asked him, now lowering the menu to look at him.

"What do you think I know?" he said.

I glared at the doctor; puzzles waste time and enigmas make me mad, I'm not about to spend an hour on the doctor trying to read his damn mind.

Before I could respond, however, Charlotte returned with both of our drinks, "Okay, here's the coffee for the big man and here's the 'caffeine special' for the shy boy. I'll be back in ten to take your orders."

I watched until the waitress was out of sight to resume our topic. Once she disappeared, I turned to face Eggman. Frowning, I tapped my fingers against the tabletop. I didn't realize I was rattling our drinks in the process.

"Surprise me," I said dully.

"Well," he said clasping his hands together, "First off, I know the identity of the male Rouge was with."

I looked up with burning eyes; for this I was going to need energy. I downed my first helping of the 'caffeine special'. Although it forced a cough out of me it wasn't too bad.

"Who?"

"The male Rouge was with is our friend, Shadow," he said, sipping his coffee nonchalantly.

My eyes widened and I gasped. Yet again, this resulted in me forcefully spitting out my drink. I wiped my mouth, thinking.

An image of a sulking black hedgehog with a vicious glare appeared. Slashes of red streaks embellished his dark quills; too radical for my taste if you ask me.

"Shadow? The ultimate life form punk?" I responded.

...What? Like I'm going to be happy that he's with my girlfriend?

"One and the same," Eggman replied.

"I thought that guy was long gone..." I said to myself.

Eggman sat silently for a moment, although I knew he was chewing over his next words. Now he settled for folding his arms over his belly. His big, huge, round belly.

"Happy to see him?" Eggman asked.

I smiled grimly at the doctor; he helped us save the world, supposedly died, then returned to take my girlfriend; I'm _thrilled_ doc!

"Not exactly," I replied grimly. Eggman laughed. "Ha! Who would be if he returned and stole your girlfriend?"

I scowled at him while he now laughed nervously; right now I'm wondering how well Eggman's neck will fit into my clenched hands.

"Doctor, what kind of proposition did you have in mind?" I said bleakly, " And with that last comment, it had better be a damn good proposition."

"Well Knuckles, it's about our friend Shadow," he started.

I sneered while he continued, "You see, Shadow was my grandfather's creation and since he's gone now, Shadow's my inheritance, so naturally, I want my property. Understand?"

" Yeah, yeah, I see," I said waving a careless hand, "So why do you want my help?"

Eggman frowned, "Well, I told those blasted police officers about my inheritance to Shadow, hoping that they'd help me but instead they believe it'd be best to put him into captivity and freeze him. Ha! Some help they are! It's so hard to get good help nowadays."

The doctor grumbled a little more before he took another big swallow of his coffee. I stared at the table, mulling over the doctor's offer.

So, help him capture his 'property' before the police, huh?

"And so, you're racing the police to get to Shadow first," I said.

"Exactly," Eggman said, "So, what do you say to my proposal?"

I crossed my arms, thinking. Do I_ really_ want to help him? He's the same man who's taken the Master Emerald countless times! But then again Shadow did take something much more precious from me...

And besides, this presents me with an opportunity to give Shadow his homecoming gift.

Finally, I raised my eyes to look at Eggman,"...When do I start?"

* * *

To be continued!

Chapter Six Theme: _'Used to love you'_-John Legend


	7. A new darkness

**_UlTrRa_** **_SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: _**

**LoVe'S** **bUrN **

By: UlTrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

"_You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel."_

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_Rouge's POV: _

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By the time we had returned to my apartment, it was far beyond the stroke of midnight.… Now, it's not what you're thinking. We didn't spend the whole night making out in the dark. Shadow's too much of a gentleman to have done that.

Anyways, after about ten minutes of having Shadow to myself, he took me by my hand and led me to a lake. He told me that he thought that this would be a good place to talk. Once we arrived at the scene of the lake, I recognized that it was Sapphire Lake, probably the loveliest place in Station Square.

The emerald-leafed trees, the aroma of the flowered meadow pastures, and of course the sparkling lake itself; there was no surprise why one could find peace and enchantment from this lake. But the landscape of the lake seemed even more gorgeous at night-time.

It seemed like everything glowed from the touch of the moonlight. I sighed gently, drinking in my surroundings. My, how beautiful this place was. Besides Shadow and myself, it seemed that the only thing that stirred were the thick patches of grass that gently swooned in the wind.

"!"

I peered down at my hand to see that Shadow had joined his with mine. I couldn't help but smile when I noticed how my hand was engulfed by his large hand. Then I slowly raised my gaze to keep the eyes of the large hand's owner. He was returning my stare.

"This place is really gorgeous at night, isn't it?" Shadow said rather softly.

I stared deeper into his eyes, hoping to read behind the lines; what was he thinking? His face was a swirled palette of emotions. Before I could ask him how he felt, he released my hand and headed into a knee-deep patch of meadow. I arched an eyebrow, watching him slowly take a knee. From watching him from behind, I had no idea what he was doing.

'_Is this the same Shadow that I know? Now he seems so peaceful…'_

"Yes it is, but I believe you have something to tell me, you know, about this afternoon?" I said.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure what's going on, Rouge," Shadow said, back still facing me.

He rose to his feet and approached me. He stopped a couple of inches away and took hold of my hand, examining it. In my palms, he placed a single orchid. Then he raised his gaze to meet my eye level.

Truth be told, his silence was starting to freak me out. I mean with Shadow when he's silent, he's _planning_ something.

"What?" I chirped, slightly irritated.

"You have such small hands," he said softly, smirking, he closed his eyes and kissed my elevated hand.

"Umm…" I blinked, blushing hard.

Oh, I must have turned twelve shades of red!

Blinkingly rapidly, I smiled, "Well…of course you'd think that, you have huge hands! They're humongous!"

I laughed, with each decibel of my laugh sounding hollower than the last. My thoughts were slowly returning to the GUN incident. The more I thought about it, the less humorous things got to be.

"_Surrender, Shadow the Hedgehog, or we shall open fire again!"_

_The black hedgehog lay at my feet, grasping his bleeding appendage. Slowly, his gloves were becoming stained a deep-red. _

Slowly his smile disappeared as he gazed upon me, "…What's wrong?"

By now my laughs had to sound much more than forced. Surprisingly, I stopped laughing on a dime and changed my demeanor instantly, "How long have they been after you?"

"_Shadow…Wh-what's going on here? They shot you? When there was no hostile resistance."_

Shadow blinked, for once speechless. Wow, had I really stumped Shadow the hedgehog? The ultimate life form? Now that accomplishment deserves a prize…I guess.

"Ever since I returned to Earth, I guess," Shadow started, shrugging, "Hmph, fools, they're lucky they caught me at such an anomalous moment, or I would have _certainly_ made their chase worth while."

_The pain he was experiencing was so great that he was able to whisper one word, hoping I'd understand,"...G.U.N...",_

Soon, Shadow's words became hushed. Although his mouth moved, I didn't hear a single word he said. I placed a hand upon my chest, fighting these feelings that were welling up inside.

How could be just be okay with all this? He had lost his best friend, he had been locked up in an icy slumber for half a century and now this…this is too much! How can he deal with all this like its nothing?

_Slowly, pain-filled crimson eyes returned my stare. How could someone so strong be reduced to appearing so weak?_

I looked at him and felt my vision began to blur. No matter how much I fought the urge to cry, I was overpowered by my own emotions. I felt hot tears roll down my face. Concern washed over his features as he approached me.

"Why are you crying?"

I burst out into sobs; it was the simplicity of the question that destroyed me. I cracked like a brittle walnut.

"Shadow, look at you! Your life is shit! First you lost your best friend, and lived bent on getting revenge. Then you fell through the atmosphere; even though you survived, you must've been in great pain."

"Rouge--"

"You got shot in your arm and now either people want you dead or they hate you and think you're some kind of freak. It's not fair! You don't deserve this!" I cried.

A small smirk appeared upon Shadow's face, "Rouge, don't worry about me. I'm fine, even with all said and done…"

I wiped my eyes, now screaming at him, " 'I'm fine!' Ha! I don't believe a second of that! After all you've been through…Just promise me nothing will happen to you!"

A smile appeared on the dark hedgehog's face as I continued, "Promise me that nothing will happen to you! PROMISE ME!"

Shadow's smile grew even bigger, "I promise, mon cherie amour."

I looked up into Shadow's warm gaze. My anger washed away and I stared at him blankly. He knew exactly what to say and exactly when to say it…how could someone just read me like a book?

I felt my vision welling up with tears again as I melted into his arms with a sob, and once again our lips met. We both exchanged smiles at each other and we started walking.

I cuddled my head onto Shadow's shoulders and gazed skyward. I closed my eyes, this night had been so hectic in the beginning, but now, being here beside Shadow, I felt so at peace. Here, beside me was the fierce some ultimate life form who is rumored to be demonic in nature.

He was created with glowing red eyes that reflected the color of the life fluid he split from his victims, and veiled with dark fur that mirrored the color of his soul.

And here I was, resting against the monster, enjoying the slow rhythmic, risings and descents of his frame. I felt a small rumbling from his chest, signifying that he was speaking to me, "Rouge."

"Hmm?"

"When this whole ordeal is over, I think I'll take you to Africa."

I opened my eyes, and gazed up at him, " Africa? Where'd this thought pop up from?"

"If you think these meadows are something…you should see the Serengeti at night, it's breathtaking," Shadow replied, motioning to the grassy plain along him, " And I also know some people there, as well."

"Really? Wow!" I said genuinely impressed.

Shadow nodded, "The ability of Chaos Control enables its master to travel any and everywhere."

"Anywhere?" I asked.

"Anywhere." He replied.

"Hmm, a trip to Paris does sound nice," I said, leaning into his shoulder, " But going anywhere with you will be nice."

As I nuzzled my head further into his shoulders, I saw his wound from the gunshot and gasped, "Shadow! We gotta get that taken care of."

He rolled his eyes, "I'm fine, Rouge!"

"No! We're going to my place, and I'll take care of it!"

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Whatever, if that'll make you happy."

* * *

..._My Apartment_

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_

"Yow! That hurts, Rouge! Are you sure you're not trying to kill me?"

"Oh, be quiet! It's not that bad!" I hissed.

He tried to maneuver away from me on one of my leather couches, but I stopped him by placing a bare, slender leg in his path.

I couldn't help but smile as Shadow blinked, slowly following the leg to the face of its owner; I smiled.

"Now be a good boy and take your medicine or shall there have to be a time-out?" I arched an eye brow.

"…"

Without another word Shadow obeyed and sifted comfortably into his seat, I laughed, "Good, now this will only hurt a little!"

I gripped the pliers tighter and clamped them around the bullet in Shadow's wound. Shadow grimaced a little as I ripped the bullet from his flesh, then I started on cleaning the wound. I wrapped a bandage and stepped back admiring my work, '_Not bad if I gotta say so myself_!'

"There, isn't that better now?" I asked cleaning the pliers.

"Oh yeah, much better," Shadow said sarcastically.

He turned his head slightly and suddenly became silent. An odd gleam flickered in his eyes for a second.

_What is he up to_?

"…Aren't you going to kiss the wound to make it feel better?" he asked turning to look at me.

"Sure," I agreed.

_By the way_, I'm doing this just to humor him! I approached him until we were inches apart and I took a knee.

Before I could 'dress' the wound, he pulled me closer to him by the waist, a peculiar expression etched on his face, "I lied, I meant for you to kiss the _wounded_."

"Oh?"

I followed the ebon hedgehog's lead as I slowly approached him, face flushing from the sheer tension building between us. Already I could feel the warmth of his breath upon my face.

I sighed lightly, smiling until...

Someone knocked on the door.

Both Shadow and I opened our eyes, gazing at each other. I laughed and went to open the door as he frowned, "Dammit! Who the HELL is it?"

"Oh be quiet! You'll just have to wait a second!" I said, shushing the hedgehog on my couch, " But seriously, who in their right mind who want to see me at midnight?"

I shrugged the idea off and unlocked the door to see a familiar blue hedgehog had been waiting outside my door pacing around. I regarded him with light surprise.

"Sonic?"

The azure hedgehog looked up and smiled weakly.

"Oh, hey Rouge," he gazed past me to see the fuming hedgehog behind me, "Hey Shadow."

Shadow halted his speech; I believe it was the apparent fatigue in the blue hedgehog's voice that silenced him. Instead he settled for giving Sonic a nonchalant gaze.

"Are you okay Sonic, you look exhausted," I said, studying him.

Sonic sighed, "Oh geez, exhausted does not even scratch the surface of how beat I am!"

"What do you want imposter?" Shadow replied in a monotone voice.

"How may I help you?" I replied, ignoring Shadow's potentially hostile quip.

"Can we talk for a minute?" Sonic asked, rocking back on his heels.

"Sure, but how about we go in my place first," I answered. I shivered slightly, "It's quite cold out there! Allow me to fix you a cup of something warm!"

"…Uh sure, but I'll be quick, I don't wanna take up all of your time together."

Sonic gazed pointedly at Shadow and gave him an immoral smile. Shadow caught on to the meaning of Sonic's smile and rose, more than ready to protect his over-inflated ego.

"Sonic please come in and Shadow, please sit down," I said, not trying to hide the irritation in my voice.

Shadow shot the royal blue hedgehog one last dark gaze, then sat onto the couch, watching him meticulously. Sonic stepped inside, taking a seat adjacent from the dark hedgehog. I stepped before them both, playing the role of hostess, "So what would you both like to drink? Tea? Coffee? Brandy? Hot chocolate?"

"What type of tea do you have present?" Shadow asked.

I gazed skyward, thinking as I listed the teas off with my fingers, "Let's see, I have Ginger, Green, Mint, Chamomile…"

Shadow's ears flickered, "Did you by chance say Chamomile?"

I smiled, "Yup. Do you want Chamomile tea?"

"Hell yes," Shadow said without a second thought. Both Sonic and I laughed as I turned to face the blue hedgehog, "And how about you?"

"Oh man," said Sonic with a small grin, "I guess brandy, I need something strong besides coffee. I've been hyped up on that stuff all day. I swear, all that sugar is gonna make me crash."

"Okay, so one Chamomile tea, and one Brandy, comin' up!" I said, turning and leaving.

I entered my kitchen and began preparing their drinks, as for myself, I think having a cup of frothy, bubbling hot cocoa would be delicious!

Just as I began boiling the liquids for our beverages, I heard Shadow and Sonic beginning to talk in the other room, "Yeah, once, I tried using Chaos control to teleport to Tails' workshop but, uh, I think I ended up in Beijing or something."

"Hmm, sounds like you weren't concentrating enough."

"I have to _think_ when I use the Chaos Emeralds?"

"Of course, how do you expect to arrive at your proper destination if you're busy thinking of trivial matters?"

"…Does thinking of a hot chick count as something trivial?"

"…You're useless."

Giggling, I prepped the drinks and reentered my living room where the two hedgehogs sat, "Here we are! Three house specials!"

As I placed the tray on the table, we all took our respective mugs, waiting briefly for the warm beverages to cool. I took a seat beside Shadow only seconds later to have him curl a stray arm around my waist.

"So what do you want? Why did you come to see us at such an hour?" Shadow began, helping himself to a sip of his tea.

Sonic sighed, staring into the thick, mahogany liquid contents of his drink. He swirled his mug slightly before he began talking, "Well, I'm actually kinda worried about Knuckles. I mean, I haven't seen him for a day and he's disappeared without a trace.

Grassy green eyes turned to gaze into ours, "...So have you guys seen him?"

Shadow didn't reply, as he was busy downing another gulp, after my initial sip, I responded, "Earlier...but that was a while ago..."

I envisioned the crimson echidna, handing me a bouquet of orchids and the sincere, yet intense gaze in his deep, amethyst eyes that came along with the flowers. Beautiful, deep fuchsia orchids.

"He has to be in the neighborhood, we just saw him this afternoon," Shadow replied, eyes closed.

"Oh…thanks, and yet, he's still not back?" Sonic said with an unsure edge to his voice, "…I'm gonna need this."

He downed the rest of his Brandy in one, long shot. Both Shadow and I exchanged glances; mine more so concerned, and his more so amused. I'm pretty sure his cup was half-full before!

"Oh. Well, if you guys see him, let me know," Sonic said, the strain returning to his voice.

"Sonic, we'll help you tomorrow, just go home and get some rest, he'll show up later, and...well, you look plain terrible."

Sonic grinned, "Pretty hard for such a handsome guy to do, huh Rougey?"

I coughed as Shadow arched an eyebrow. Sonic laughed, sparks of his old self surfacing, " Yeah… think I will turn in for the night after I stop and grab myself two chilidogs."

My brow furrowed in concern, "Sonic…please take care of yourself and get some rest. Be fresh and ready for tomorrow."

The blue hedgehog smiled, "I will and, later days, then." He placed his mug on the tray and disappeared out of sight within seconds.

"Well, that was a nice visit, huh, Shadow?" I asked. I turned around to face a snoozing hedgehog. I stared at him, silent.

Hmph! Well, the nerve of him!

"Shadow, what will I do with you?" I smiled.

I gazed at the slumbering hedgehog who still looked rigid even in his sleep. But somehow it was still such a cute sight!

"Even in his sleep, he's still so cute!"

I rubbed his head and headed for the kitchen, looking for a second helping of cocoa, but before I could serve myself to another helping, my phone rang. I quickly rushed to the phone to avoid awaking Shadow. As alert as he is, I bet he's a pretty light sleeper. I picked up the phone and sighed.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hello Rouge, it's me, Knuckles."

I gasped, Knuckles! Is it really him? Oh won't Sonic be so pleased!

"Knuckles? Where are you? Everyone's been looking for you! Are you okay?" I asked frantically.

I heard him laugh; it was light and carefree, "Don't worry Rouge, I'm fine."

"Then come to my apartment," I closed my eyes, "…Where you're always welcome."

The line was silent but he began speaking again, "I'm sorry I can't, I'm too far out to make it there by a reasonable hour."

He paused, as if thinking, "But if you're really eager to see me, come to the bay bridge. I'll be able to meet you there."

"Knuckles, but it's so late and—"

"I'll be waiting."

I heard his phone click and I lowered the phone from my ear. I found myself in deep thought yet again. Maybe I shouldn't go, and it doesn't sound smart, it's far too late to be out.

But then an image of the worried sapphire hedgehog crossed my mind. It was unsettling to think of his recent uncharacteristic nervous smiles, and his blue brow burrowed in concern.

I had to see Knuckles, if not for myself, for Sonic's sake. With my mind made up, I made a quick visit to the closet, snagging a jacket on my way out. I'll be back soon, with Knuckles in tow.

* * *

I clutched my jacket tightly around myself as I flew across the starred night sky. Steam swirled in thick clouds as I breathed out the crisp night air.

I gazed ahead of me, drinking in the sight of the neon-lit city. Bright lights of all hues and shades burned strongly against the dark wash of the night sky.

Slowly, as I approached the city, the Bay Bridge appeared into view. Simple streetlamps illuminated the elevated bridge, making it stand out, as well.

Just as I arrived, I slowly descended until I landed upon the empty bridge. Hopefully Knuckles would be here soon, it was quite chilly out here! I shivered as my breath came out in puffs.

"I-it's s-so c-cold!"

I wound my coat tighter, gazing around the bridge. Before I could do some more sightseeing, I heard a voice.

"Rouge?"

I looked up and spotted the plummeting figure. He landed gracefully in front of me and I walked up to him, smiling.

"Knuckles! Everyone's been worried sick about you! Especially Sonic! Now, where have you been?" I whined.

Although I couldn't see his face clearly in the darkness, I could hear the smile in his voice, "I'm sorry to have worried you, but I'm here now, isn't that good enough for you?"

He approached me and wrapped me into a tight embrace, I didn't know how to respond, "…Unh…"

"Knuckles, we really should get--!"

I felt a tight grip on my waist drag me towards the echidna as I felt my lips interlocked in his. By now, I'm more than sure that my cheeks are a bright scarlet, how do I respond to him? Pro or con? I'm with Shadow now.

…Right?

My thoughts fell upon the mysterious hedgehog, and the time I had spent with him earlier this night and compared to the dark hedgehog's kisses; these mean nothing. Knuckles' kisses were as hollow as wood and I felt nothing from them.

In fact, if I'm not mistaken, his kisses are much more aggressive than usual! I have to stop him! He's smothering me!

I suddenly snapped to attention as I felt the echidna's hands begin to trail slowly down my back; if I was blushing before, I was certainly blushing hard now, " K-knuckles! What are you doing?"

For a response, I got a cold chuckle, "Isn't it obvious?"

"Knuckles! Stop! Let me go!" I cried, fighting against him.

"…As you wish."

I felt the once, possessive grip upon me fade away as I plummeted to the ground, landing flat on my back. I slowly sat up and, with wide eyes of fear, I looked up.

"Kn-knuckles...?"

Another dark laugh escaped the tall figure before me, "Well, brains my not be your forte, but at least you're good for something…"

I gasped as the figure stepped into the light. I crawled away from him, trying to put distance between us.

"You're not Knuckles..."

"No, I'm afraid I'm not," he replied.

In front of me stood a hedgehog with icy silver eyes. I could tell that he was tall in stature and his coat was a wash of ebony. His smooth stomach was a pale, grayish color, which seemed to match the silver barcode numbers on his left arm perfectly.

He smiled at me with an unnerving smile. But what bothered me the most about this character were his light, silver eyes which were piercing; they seemed to have the ability to look right through a person.

"Then who are you, you imposter?" I cried more afraid then upset.

If this freak had some sort of barcode on his arm, starting from the tip of his shoulder to the end of his finger tips, this guy couldn't be all too sane.

His smiled broadened, "My name is Scythe and I've been sent by Doctor Ivo to retrieve you, Rouge. Now we can do this two ways; the hard way or my way."

He took a step closer and I rose to my feet quickly, keeping the distance between us, I couldn't help but notice that when he spoke, he revealed his tongue to be an odd dark bluish-gray.

I gasped, finding myself stepping away even farther from this character. He smiled much too friendly, "So will you be a good girl and come with me?"

I stepped away from him yet again, '_I can't believe that creep was all over me! And now he asks if I'll go willingly with him! He's even crazier than I thought_!'

"_Go to hell_," I hissed.

I had meant every word of that. He's in legion with Eggman and I definitely don't plan on seeing him any time soon again. Plus, this guy's a creep, I'm going nowhere with him! The dark hedgehog chucked again, taking everything in good humor.

"I'll take that as a no."

As soon as he said that his smile faded and he zipped in front of me with a murderous expression. I gasped, shocked by his amazing agility. I quickly turned tail and began to run, choking down my fear.

I heard laughter bellow from behind me, "I love a good game of cat and mouse! This'll be fun! I'll give you a five second head start!"

"Five…four…"

No! I have to get out of here! That psycho, Scythe is after me! He's got speed that rivals Shadow's! I believe escaping would be the best option!

"Three…two…"

Maybe if I could make enough distance between us, I can hide from him.

"…One…"

Oh please let me get away from this jerk!

"Here I come!"

Panting, I continued running, until the idea to take flight came to mind. Just as I became airborne, I felt a sharp tug at the back of my head, "Tag, you loose."

With little effort, the hedgehog threw me over his shoulder. I gasped at the pain as I landed on my back. I saw the lean figure slowly starting to approach, sliver eyes glinting insidiously.

I slowly rose to my feet, grimacing; this was not looking to good. This jerk…is too good! Well, I'm not going to sit here and let him mess with me any longer!

I charged at him, with a fist raised in the air. Just as I swung at him, he side-stepped effortlessly and grabbed my fist, popping a few knuckles in progress. I gasped as the hedgehog grabbed a hand full of my hair and bent me backwards.

I struggled fruitlessly in his grasp, he smiled and this time, propelled me forward. Unfortunately I found the wrong side of a streetlamp.

My head smashed into the pole and I landed on my back, moaning in pain. Vertigo came quickly, leaving me disorientated as I felt myself beginning to lose consciousness as I saw the dark hedgehog approach me.

"This isn't over..." I whispered, feeling consciousness draining away by each passing second.

Scythe laughed, "You're absolutely right...because it's all just beginning."

Dark spots began to cloud my vision as everything began to fade. My last sights fell upon Scythe, slowly ambling towards me with a smile on his face.

* * *

To be continued!

Chapter Seven Theme- "_Without you_,"-Mariah Carey


	8. The beginning of the chaos

_**UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

**LoVe'S bUrN **

By: UlTrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel."_

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_Third Person POV:_

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Doctor Eggman's newest base was hidden deep within the Sahara desert. There, Knuckles stood over looking the large desert.

Arms crossed over his chest and eyes locked upon his sights in front of him, Knuckles was poised for battle. With the dark, fierce gleam in his eyes, even Eggman was slow to approach him.

"Hello Knuckles, did we enjoy our first night's stay?" Eggman asked slowly, arriving behind him.

Knuckles responded with a low chuckle, but kept his sights dead ahead of him, "Okay, what do you want now?"

Eggman walked alongside of him and stared out the window as well, gazing at nothing in particular.

"Unfortunately, I have grim news to tell you." Knuckles smiled. "What? Did the nearest McDonalds close down?"

Eggman laughed. "Boy, don't we have a sense of humor today? Well, as happy as you are, I've got some poor news to report to you concerning Rouge."

Knuckles' amethyst eyes tore away from the desert to meet Eggman's, "What? What about her?"

Eggman smiled. He knew he had hit a soft spot, and now the echidna was like putty in his hands.

"You see, I've asked one of my spies to locate her and bring her here, but he claims that in the middle of the night, a male jumped her and she was sent to the hospital in critical condition," Eggman informed.

A look of terror washed over the echidna's face, " Is she okay?"

Eggman turned to look at Knuckles, whose face began to darken. A heavy grimace poured upon Knuckles' face and his blood began to boil. He clenched his fist and his dark eyes met Eggman's.

"Who did this?" he growled.

A small smirk appeared on Eggman's face, "My sources tell me that it was a black hedgehog with red streaks, so I'm guessing that our friend Shadow's responsible…"

"Shadow? But I thought I just saw that guy with her..." Knuckles fell silent thinking, "Why would he turn on her so quickly?" Eggman shrugged, " Perhaps punks don't need a reason to harm others."

Knuckles turned to face the Sahara again, quietly running over his thoughts. "So what are you really trying to get at? Other than pissing me off…"

The echidna kept his face to the dessert, staring at nothing. Eggman took another step towards him.

"Knuckles, I ask a deed of you. If you agree, your mission would be to find Shadow and beat the living hell out of him do it, if not for me, for Rouge," Eggman said.

Knuckles pulled his gloves tight, "Heh, I was going to do it anyways, that guy's been on my bad side for a while now. Oh, if I'm not back before five, that means I'm not through kicking his ass yet…"

The red warrior turned his back to the doctor and headed on his way out. Eggman watched him smiling, until he turned to face the scientist.

"What?"

"...Where am I going?"

Eggman's smile disappeared, " After the first fork take two lefts."

Knuckles smiled bashfully before he turned on his way. As soon as he turned his back to the doctor, all contentment on his face disappeared. The echidna kicked the door down and entered the transporter, destination: Station Square.

Once Knuckles left, Eggman smiled. "He's gone now, you can come out."

A dark hedgehog dropped from the ceiling, landing gracefully, silver eyes glinted from the light's touch, "Did you capture Rouge, Scythe?" Eggman asked.

"Of course, doctor," he replied with an unsettling smile," However, must we trust that echidna? He must be pretty crude if he can't find his way around the establishment."

"Do not concern yourself with such trivial matters," Eggman said, " He is extremely valuable to me now."

* * *

_In Rouge's apartment…_

* * *

The sun's strong, lovely rays shown upon Shadow's face. The dark hedgehog couldn't help but frown; damn, it was morning! Before the hedgehog could meditate upon how much he hated mornings, he heard someone knock on the front door.

He slowly rose to his feet and started towards the door with very droopy eyes; at this very moment, the ultimate life form looked like the night of the living dead.

Impatiently, Shadow swung the door open with his customary frown armed and ready and in place to give whoever a good barking at for daring to disturb his slumber.

"Aloha, Shadow! What, are you not gonna let us in?" Amy smiled.

Shadow's face fell, it was only the rose hedgehog; how could he possibly threaten her and tell her to run before he would shove his boot up her rear end? Before Shadow could answer, another face appeared, an _un_welcome face that belonged to the azure hero, " Heya Shads! Mornin' faker!"

Shadow narrowed his eyes and prepared to give Sonic the tongue lashing of the century, "...Go away...now!"

It was morning and the ultimate life form never had his best quips at least until noon. Sonic frowned, "Ugh! How rude! Let us in!"

With that, Sonic pushed the door open and sent Shadow flying into one of Rouge's silk couches. Sonic strolled into the apartment being followed by Tails, Amy, and Cream.

"You can't just barge in here!" Shadow cried, half bewildered and half furious.

"…Still living in the past, are we? That was so two seconds ago!" Sonic said with half a smile.

"Hey Shadow! Long time no see!" Tails said, smiling, "So where's Rouge?"

Shadow glared slightly at the young fox; just who does he think he is? First waking up the ultimate life form, barging into his sleeping facilities, and then demanding answers from him?

"Hmm, isn't she in the bedroom? I haven't checked yet…so I'm not sure where she is…" Shadow said rubbing his head.

He definitely needed more sleep, he was actually being _nice_ to people for a change! Shadow frowned at such a terrible thought, _'Damn I'm just not a morning person!'_

"I bet I know where she is," Sonic said with a demonic smile, "I bet she's still in the bedroom waiting for her one-minute man!"

Tails, Amy and Cream burst out laughing, while Shadow despite himself, was fighting off a blush. How dare they make the ultimate life form burn red with shame!

"SHUT UP, PATHETIC LIFE FORM!"

"He ain't the cookie monster…'CAUSE HE'S THE NOOKIE MONSTA BABY!" Sonic said thrusting his pelvis.

Everyone fell out laughing…everyone but Shadow, who was trying to keep himself from unleashing his 'ultimate life form powers' upon everyone in the room.

After a while, they all settled down and Sonic was the first to help himself to the television set while Tails and Cream invaded the fridge and Amy found her way into Rouge's closet.

"Nope, Rouge isn't in her room, "Amy called, pulling out a shirt from Rouge's nightstand.

"That's strange, she doesn't just leave without saying anything," Shadow said softly.

"Heh, I bet you would know that, wouldn't you?" Sonic said smiling.

"…Your ass is grass!" Shadow said standing up. While he chased Sonic around Rouge's apartment, an important newsflash appeared on the television.

"We interrupt this program to bring you an important newsflash. Last night at about midnight, shrieks were heard coming from the Bay bridge. And now we head over to Tom Sawyer with the story," the blue vixen said.

"Thank you Skye; and I'm here with the chief of the Station Square police, Officer McCloud. Officer, exactly what took place here last night?" Tom asked moving the microphone to the officer's face.

"Well, looking at the traces of blood on the cement, I'd say there was a brutal beating here."

"So do you know who the victims and the culprits are?" asked Tom.

The officer scratched his head, "Well, witnesses say that they saw a black hedgehog and a white bat here last night. An anonymous caller told us that he had witnessed the whole atrocity and he recognized the people involved. He said the victim, who was the white bat, is a woman named Rouge, and the culprit, the black hedgehog, is identified as Shadow."

"Shadow? The same Shadow who's wanted by the scientists and recognized as one of the most dangerous, wanted criminals?" Tom cried.

"I'm afraid so. We need to catch this psycho before he gets to anyone else. So, if you, Station Square, know his whereabouts, do contact the police station ASAP, that is, and stay safe, Station Square."

The entire Sonic team fell silent. They all stared at Shadow.

"...That's..." Sonic started.

"...Impossible," Tails said to himself.

"Oh Shadow, you really didn't do that did you?" Amy cried.

"No, I would never lay a hand on Rouge," Shadow said softly.

Amy and Cream cowered away from Shadow while Tails only rubbed in chin as if he was deep in thought. Sonic didn't do much either except stare at Shadow wide-eyed.

"Hmm, I'd have to say I believe you," Tails retorted.

"How can you trust him, Tails?" Cream asked quietly, "I mean, there's a lot of evidence against him."

Tails shrugged, "True. Although there is a lot of evidence against you, Shadow, in my book, things just don't add up. I mean, one witness claimed to identify the culprit as you, but how are they sure? I mean, it was dark outside, so they'd have to be at least within ten feet to recognize your features. And no halfwit criminal would allow a witness to come that close."

Sonic smiled and patted Tails' head, "And that's why it's such a good thing you're so damn smart, kid!"

Sonic looked up at Shadow with a smirk. "Hey, don't worry, Shad, we know you didn't do it, but it must suck ass to have the cops all over your back. Trust me, I know."

"Hey! I've got an idea! You can stay at my workshop while we straighten out this mess," Tails said with a smile. "And, here, take this walkie-talkie. If anything happens you can tell us."

"...Thank you," Shadow said softly.

He slowly headed toward the door, staring at the all; perhaps...perhaps he really did have friends after all. He gazed back at them one last time, a semblance of hope dawning on his face.

"Well, take care Shadow," Amy said waving at him.

Sonic frowned, "Well, what are you waiting for? Get your ass moving!"

* * *

Rouge woke up to find herself in a cage. Fear flooded her as she instantly grabbed the bars in front of her and tried to pry them loose, no success. This time she took a few steps backwards and lashed out with a couple of kicks, no good again. She was pretty trapped.

_'A girl in a cage in some unknown place, I really don't like this..._' she thought to herself.

Just as her fear was being to manifest into something uglier, Rouge heard a chuckle and turned to see a black hedgehog watching her from across the room. He was reclined comfortably in a big chair observing her with an amused expression; bastard.

"You…" Rouge hissed.

"So, you've finally awakened I see," Scythe said.

He walked across the room and stood in front of Rouge. He pulled out a needle filled with a bright green substance and reached his arms between the bars to grab Rouge.

But her defensive instincts kicked in and she sank her sharp fangs into his arm. What in the world did he think she was going to do? _Let _him stick that twelve-inch needle into her delicate arm? Scythe yelled in pain and snarled. "You little bitch!"

He opened the cage, snatched Rouge out by her slender arm and injected her with the green substance. After he was done with her, Scythe threw her back in the cage and locked it shut, holding his bloody arm while cursing. His silver eyes narrowed as he grimaced at her. It all happened so fast that she couldn't even formulate a defense against him.

"Somebody ought to teach a whore like you some manners."

"What the hell did you inject in me, you bastard?" Rouge asked impatiently.

Scythe smiled, " According to the Doctor, that's classified information for you or for him not to know."

"Him who?" Rouge asked curiously.

Scythe walked over to a table and bandaged his bloody arm. Was he hesitant to answer her question? "Shadow."

"Shadow? What? Why do you need Shadow?" Rouge asked.

There was no response from the dark hedgehog who had his back towards her. He was still taking his sweet time nursing his injury. What a hypocrite; here he could inject her with a needle and yet cry over something like a bite wound.

"ANSWER ME !" Rouge shouted. "

"Shut the hell up! Do you really want to know why Eggman wants your little weak-ass boyfriend? " Scythe said, turning his head Rouge's direction.

His voice took on a mocking tone, " Eggman said he needed Shadow in order to fulfill his plans of world domination, but why the hell would he need Shadow, after he created me? I'm twice as strong and twice as fast as he is, or that stupid blue hedgehog as a matter of fact. Chasing after that guy is simply a waste of time."

Rouge smiled. "Do you know what I think Scythe? I think you're jealous of Shadow because Eggman needs him, and not you. That's it, isn't it, Scythe? You're really a jealous bitch who can't stand the fact that you're not the best. And even you know that, deep down inside, Shadow is better than you are."

Scythe snarled and ran to the front of Rouge's cage. He picked her up by the collar of her jacket and yelled in her face, " YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME YOU IGNORANT BITCH! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT MY STRUGGLES AND MY PAST! BUT I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I AM THE TRUE ULTIMATE LIFE FORM AND THAT I WILL BE THE ONE TO HELP EGGMAN RULE EARTH! NOT SHADOW! AND AFTER I HAVE SHADOW'S BLOOD SMEARED ON MY HANDS, I'LL DESTROY YOU!"

He threw Rouge into the opposite end of the bars and stormed out of the room. Rouge felt tears run down her cheeks as she felt both scared and angered. "WELL YOU BETTER LEAVE BECAUSE SHADOW'S GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!"

* * *

Shadow was skating through a thick shower to reach the Station Square train station. Although he was heading for refuge, his mind kept wondering about Rouge.

The thought of Rouge being harmed by some spineless punk enraged him. But what was even worse in the matter was that he had no clue of Rouge's whereabouts.

Something. Something had to turn up and he would find her. Shadow reached a fork in the road. One way was going to the Station Square train station and the other path lead to the direction of the Bay Bridge.

Shadow clenched his fist and skated off towards the Bay Bridge. Hot on Shadow's heels was a familiar red echidna.

"Shadow," he whispered. He narrowed his eyes and sped off after him.

Shadow reached the Bay Bridge and noticed the traces of blood on the bridge. He grimaced slightly, knowing and yet not wanting to know who the owner of the fluid was. Who in the world had done this to her?

"Rouge," Shadow whispered. He stooped down and bent to his knees. The antihero swept his hands across the cement of the bridge, and the tips of his gloves where stained with blood. He curled a tight fist as his anger manifested dangerously; oh yeah; someone was definitely going to get their ass waxed for this.

"…I promise you, revenge," Shadow hissed.

Shadow heard footsteps approaching and he turned around to see a furious Knuckles approaching him. "Hello, Shadow," Knuckles growled.

* * *

To be continued!

Chapter Eight's Theme-_'Ooo La La La'_-Teena Marie


	9. A Revelation

**_UlTrRa_** **_SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: _**

**LoVe'S** **bUrN **

By: UlTrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

"_You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

_

* * *

_

_Third Person POV: _

_

* * *

_

Shadow turned around to spot the red echidna. Knuckles had been standing behind him in an eerie silence. Although the thick rain-shower muddled his vision, Shadow was still able to detect the echidna's vivid scarlet fur and his familiar features.

Crimson eyes narrowed slightly; thick rain downpours didn't prevent Shadow from sensing something was amiss. However, the dark hedgehog failed to notice Knuckles' left fist, which began to wind tightly into a snug ball.

"Knuckles?" Shadow asked more out of distrust than curiosity.

No words left the echidna's lips; he only stared at the hedgehog with a death glare that almost sent chills down Shadow's spine. Knuckles' face was a palette of dark emotions; his eyes narrowed and his irises were no bigger than a single corn kernel.

Shadow made a move to speak, but before another a word could escape, Knuckles gladly greeted him with a fist across his face. The assaulted hedgehog landed flat on his back, splashing into a decent-sized puddle.

Now, along with the new cold spell, tremors ran through Shadow's body. He gazed skyward to see Knuckles slowly drape towards him, his manner mimicking that of a phantom.

"What the hell was that for?" Shadow asked both startled and angered.

Without an answer, Knuckles continued to approach the fallen hedgehog until he could see that the echidna's face was hidden within an uncanny shadow. An impenetrable blackness swept his face. Knuckles hissed, "Little bitch!"

He drove his foot into Shadow's side without breaking stride. The rain-soaked hedgehog was sent tumbling into another murky puddle. Shadow slowly rose to his knees, grimacing from pain. Unscathed, Knuckles continued on slow trek towards his foe.

"How does it feel when someone stronger than you overpowers you? Huh?" Knuckles growled deadly, approaching Shadow.

Shadow slowly rose to his feet, sight focusing on Knuckles. He didn't know quite what the echidna's problem was, nor did he care, but he certainly wasn't going to wait around and allow the guardian to have a field day on him.

"I don't know what your problem is but if that's the way you feel, then bring it," Shadow said, acquiring his fighting stance, "Perhaps after I hurt you a bit, you shall regain your wit about you."

The echidna stopped walking altogether. Momentarily he stared at Shadow blankly, then a wicked smile blossomed on his face. Slowly he began to chuckle, then his light chortle exploded into a rich, loud laugh. Although Shadow took laughter as an expression of happiness, the echidna's laughter was somehow twisted and sinister.

Once his laughter evaporated, Knuckles took a step forward, "Now, I shall have a chance to show you my new, enhanced power."

Knuckles closed his eyes and clenched his fists into tight balls. Shadow assumed the guardian had begun to focus his energy. The black hedgehog heaved a slight sigh; as if focusing his energies would do him any good…

Soon Knuckles was enveloped in a red, burning aura as he let out a cry of fury. Momentarily, it seemed as if the sky was ignited with his fiery energy, as the entire sky surrounding the perimeter was washed crimson.

And the air became exceptionally hot as steam began to rise from the murky puddles, and the once shivering hedgehog was now sweating.

To finish Knuckles' brilliant aura, a bright flare of light enveloped the bridge. Startled, Shadow shaded his eyes until he saw the bright blaze subside. As the birth of the flamboyant colors was finished, the temperature returned to its status, chilling him yet again.

'_Damn, just when I get accustomed to this poor weather, I start to freeze AGAIN! That echidna will get it twice as bad now_!'

Removing his hand from his eyes, he gasped at what stood before him. In front of him stood a stranger with a glowing, tomato-colored aura.

He had long quills that reached the tips of his strong ankles and every inch of his body was enclosed with solid muscles. And yet again his eyes were hidden in that dark, abnormal shadow.

"Don't worry, by the time I'm done with you, you'll be just as messed up as Rouge was," Knuckles murmured.

He elevated his gaze to meet the red eyes of his foe. Shadow instantly noticed the echidna's piercing, almost neon red eyes, which had the gleam of a lost warrior. It seemed as if he wasn't the same echidna. Without another word, the echidna released an icy war cry as he plummeted into the stunned hedgehog.

* * *

_On top of the Bay Bridge…_

* * *

The wind was picking up slightly, however, even the wind unaffected the lean figure at the pinnacle of the bridge. Looming on top of the bridge, observing all that occurred was the hedgehog Scythe.

Pale, keen eyes glinted in the moonlight as they shifted, taking in every move of the battle below him.

Slowly, stone-colored eyes turned to his palms. In his dark, gloved hands was a cell phone. Everything was going according to plan. He punched a few buttons and held it to his ears.

"Hello?" a voice answered. The night-hued hedgehog smirked; fool, the Doctor knew exactly who was calling him. "Doctor, he's done it," Scythe replied.

"So he has? Perfect, everything's going according to plan, Scythe," Eggman answered.

"Doc, how'd that echidna do that? I've never felt or seen such power like his," Scythe said, mildly curious.

"That, is from the doing of my latest invention! And with Shadow under our control, and with a little assistance from my invention, just think of how great his power shall be!" Eggman roared.

Scythe frowned; '_And what about that idiot?_' "So, now what?"

"Scythe, Knuckles has no control over his emotions at this state, so be sure to retrieve Shadow before he beats the life out of him!" Eggman cried, " Remember, I want my boy still breathing."

"Scythe out," he said ending the conversation.

He closed up the cell phone and took a knee to get a closer look at the action below. For a moment the silver-eyed hedgehog frowned in thought with the doctor's words still fresh in his head.

Then another even more solid, sweeter thought replaced his previous; Shadow getting the daylight kicked out off him. The dark hedgehog couldn't help but grin manically, "Shadow getting his ass kicked, that I wouldn't miss for the world."

* * *

_The Bay Bridge_

* * *

Although the speed of Knuckles' first attack had taken him off guard, Shadow had managed to recover and fight blow to blow with the new revved up monster.

But before Shadow wanted to completely annihilate this guy, he had something he wanted to find out; firstly, why had he mentioned Rouge's fair name?

"Rouge?" Shadow asked, inhaling a mouthful of rainwater, "Wait, what do you--?"

Before Shadow could finish, the new revved up red warrior made a line towards him. Knuckles threw multiple marked punches at Shadow, who was quick enough to avoid them.

Shadow executed a couple of back flips to buy himself some space from the echidna who was now even more furious than before. The guardian narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth at the black hedgehog.

"Knuckles, what were you saying about Rouge?" Shadow yelled, hoping to have his voice reach the echidna over the rain.

However, Knuckles chose to simply ignore him, "Come and fight, bastard! You'll pay for what you did to her!"

Seeing that his words were as useful as a broken umbrella in a rainstorm, Shadow charged at Knuckles, who swung hungrily at him and missed.

If the echidna had managed to connect his blow with his intended target, Shadow didn't doubt for a second that he'd have been put to sleep for at least another good fifty years.

Shadow flipped gracefully into the air and managed to position himself behind Knuckles to put the raging echidna in an arm lock.

"Knuckles, listen to me! I'm not responsible for what happened to Rouge," Shadow yelled.

"_Liar_!" Knuckles hissed, struggling furiously in his grip.

Using his newfound super strength, Knuckles freed himself from Shadow's restraint and threw him over his shoulder. Shadow hit the ground with so much force that he cracked the concrete and spat up blood. That's never a good thing.

The enhanced Knuckles lifted Shadow up by his neck and raised a curled fist, ready to strike him. The guardian grinned wickedly; he could smell defeat in the cool, crisp air.

Shadow grimaced; this echidna was a beast! Just as Shadow suspected, Knuckles' new powers made him monstrously strong; all it took was one blow to render the ultimate life form helpless. Any lesser of a person would have been enjoying their afterlife by now.

"This is for you…Rouge..." Knuckles said an octave above a whisper.

Shadow grimaced, determination and pain welling up inside of him; it was time to say something now, or forever hold his peace.

"Kn-nuckles, I'm sorry for what happened to Rouge, but I'm not responsible for what happened to her. You have the wrong culprit! I know how much you love her, I can see it in your eyes, but finishing me off won't bring her back… But if you truly cared for her, you'd put your personal shit aside and help me find her," Shadow said through clenched, bloody teeth.

Knuckles blinked, startled as he stared at the bruised and bloody hedgehog before him. Images of the very same hedgehog before him flashed in front of his eyes. Images of the same hedgehog bound in his grip kissing the white bat, enjoying the white bat.

Knuckles grimaced, tightening his grip upon the hedgehog's neck as these images became more vivid and graphic. He saw how they both passionately pined for each other and enjoyed the feel of each other.

Then…he also saw the look the white bat had given the hedgehog within his grip, it was the very same look she had given him once upon a time; the warm, true gaze of love.

Knuckles eyes widened in realization when something inside of him snapped as Shadow's words echoed through his mind:

_'Kn-nuckles, I'm sorry for what happened to Rouge, but I'm not responsible for what happened to her._ _You have the wrong culprit! I know how much you love her, I can see it in your eyes, but finishing me off won't bring her back… But if you truly cared for her, you'd put your personal shit aside and help me find her_.'

Knuckles slowly lowered his curled fist and released Shadow. If Rouge had gazed upon Shadow with those loving eyes, then…

Shadow looked into his eyes and saw that his cold, sharp, red soulless eyes returned to their normal warm, amethyst state.

Then…

"You didn't do it...I..I'm sorry," Knuckles said slowly.

…He must have loved her as well…

And just as fast his superior form had come, it went, leaving him drained and weak. Crimson lights shattered around the echidna as he collapsed to his knees then hit the floor unconscious.

Seeing that the battle was over, Shadow fell on his back, joining Knuckles on the concrete, panting. The ebony and claret hedgehog closed his eyes, taking in oxygen as a dehydrated man took in water. It was all over, finally.

* * *

Or was it?

The lurking hedgehog on top of the Bay Bridge gracefully dropped down and landed behind Shadow. Hearing Scythe's descent from the top of the Bay Bridge, ears rising, Shadow turned his head to the origin of the sound.

Towering over him was a tall hedgehog, black hedgehog with alien, pale silver eyes. An unfriendly smirk played upon the hedgehog's face; although Shadow had only seen this stranger for a second, he already knew that he wouldn't like him: the thin, cat-like pupils failed to help as well.

"So, this is the 'ultimate life form' I've heard about? Pretty pathetic…." Scythe said with an unflattering edge to his voice, "Well, you're very fortunate that the doctor asked me to bring you back breathing or I'd certainly kill you now. Not that your life made much of a difference anyways."

Scythe looked down at his jet-black Jordans to see that they were being lapped with water. Frowning slightly, he glared at the ground; he despised water, much less being wet.

He glanced around to find the source of the water and realized that the bridge was flooding. He looked at the edge of the bridge, back at Shadow and smiled.

As an idea popped into the hedgehog's head, he couldn't help but laugh at the mental image of a light bulb appearing over his cranium. Smiling deviously, he turned to look at Shadow.

"My, you look so flushed, maybe some refreshing water will do you good," Scythe said.

He dragged an unwilling Shadow to the edge of the bridge…the black and red hedgehog received plenty of rug-burn from being dragged across the concrete like a rag doll. Shadow grimaced, swallowing all cries of pain.

"Swirly!" The black hedgehog laughed, and with that he submerged Shadow's head into water.

Shadow fought to get free but he was so exhausted from his previous engagement with Knuckles that he was too tired to release himself from Scythe's grip.

After being underwater for a few minutes Shadow's vision became hazy and the last thing he remembered seeing was the dark hedgehog looming over him with a devious, twisted smile.

* * *

"Is he awake yet?"

"I'm not sure, Doctor, but it looks like he's slowly becoming conscious."

Bleary eyes slowly opened, and a moan escaped the unconscious figure; Knuckles opened his eyes to see two figures standing over him with smiles. The first face was recognizably enough, the infamous Doctor Eggman.

The second head was an unfamiliar face, which belonged to a black male hedgehog, appearing in his later adolescent years. The first thing Knuckles noticed about this character was his eerie, gray eyes which stood out quite plainly on his dark face.

"Are you okay Knuckles?" Eggman asked.

"W-where am I?" Knuckles said, rubbing his head, too disoriented to care even if he was in Eggman's care.

"And who is that guy?" Eggman chuckled.

"You're back at the Sahara base, and this is my creation Scythe. He found you washed up on the Bay Bridge."

Scythe closed his eyes, "You had me worried…at first sight I thought you for dead."

"W-what was I doing at Bay Bridge? I don't remember a thing," Knuckles said griping his forehead tenderly.

"You were fighting that creep, Shadow and when I found both of you guys, you were both unconscious. You two must have given each other a really good ass kickin'!" Scythe said smiling.

"Well, you stay here and rest, Knuckles, and if you need anything, my robots will attend to you," Eggman said.

Knuckles watched Eggman and Scythe vanish out of the medical room. Vertigo made his vision dance and spin; Knuckles held his head staring off into space. Just what would he and Shadow be fighting about anyway?

* * *

Slowly crimson eyes opened. Shadow moaned; to say that he was feeling terrible would be an understatement. His head was pounding; vision was unfocused and blurry, stomach tied, and throat dry and sore.

Reluctantly, Shadow studied his surroundings and much to his dismay, found himself tied up to a steel chair. He struggled to get free but the rope bonds were too strong and they were also cutting off his circulation. He looked up when he heard a door open and he saw both Eggman and Scythe enter.

"Doctor Eggman?" Shadow asked groggily.

"Duh-Doctor?" Scythe mocked, highlighting Shadow's muzzy voice.

Shadow managed to glare at him as both the doctor and Scythe laughed merrily. Just who did this punk think he was? He was going to pay for that one through pain.

"Yes, it is I and welcome to the Sahara Desert base, we hope you'll enjoy your stay here," Eggman replied motioning to the area before them.

Shadow's eyes drifted away from Eggman's and met Scythe's; the black hedgehog wasn't feeling well; he'd just finished fighting a steroid-enhanced echidna, almost drowned, and now this vagabond hedgehog thought he could stare him down.

Shadow wasn't in one of his most congenial moods and he certainly wasn't going to let this jerk treat him like this.

"Shadow," Scythe said with an air of reluctant acknowledgement.

"Bastard," Shadow replied, managing to smile as if he breathed hellfire.

The two dark hedgehogs stared each other down until Eggman interrupted them, "Anyway, I think we should get down to business, Shadow, I arranged to have you brought here because I want to offer you a partnership, one that can make you an omnipotent being."

Wryly, Shadow smiled; now who in the world gives out free immortality? "So, what's the catch to me being omnipotent?" Shadow asked.

"Nothing," Eggman said, smiling. "Absolutely nothing…So what do you say to my offer, Shadow?"

Shadow smiled, "How about I give you the finger and you give me my freedom?"

Smiling in his friendliest manner, the black hedgehog proceeded to flipped them both off which, surprisingly brought laughter from the Doctor. His ebony cohort, however, failed to find the humor.

"Shadow, Shadow, Shadow, why must you be so difficult? Well, I knew you'd be like this, so I have my ways to persuade you. Scythe, bring in our trump card," Eggman said. Smiling wickedly, Scythe exited the room and returned moments later returned with a struggling figure.

"Let go of me!" the figure cried.

"Granted," Scythe pushed the figure before him. Clearly, from the tone of voice, Shadow guessed the hostage to be female. From the impact of Scythe's shove, she fell forward, landing on her hands and knees. Slowly she looked up at Shadow with familiar clear blue eyes.

"Rouge?" Shadow said, his eyes widening.

She gasped, recognizing the worn-away figure strapped to the chair. He looked beyond exhausted. He also looked battered; had they been beating him?

"SHADOW!" Rouge exclaimed her cry in a mixture of shock and anxiety.

She made a dash towards Shadow but was halted mid-step as Scythe restrained her with an iron vice grip. Eggman smiled seeing their reactions; this only meant that his plan would undoubtedly succeed. He turned to gaze at Shadow whose once arrogant, bold demeanor changed to that of a meek lamb.

"Now, I wonder why she's here….oh yes…if you refuse my proposal a second time, something awful will befall her," Eggman said with a smile.

"Leave her out of this," Shadow growled defensively, "Your battle's with me."

"Oh? Well either way it's too late," Scythe said with an iniquity smile, "You see, Rouge has already been injected with the Hydra virus. And it will take toll on the victim within twelve hours of receiving the plague, and the victim will be dead within forty eight hours…Oh, and if I've counted correctly she's had the virus for…well, look at that, just about twelve hours now."

A look of horror washed over Shadow's features, he gazed at the white bat who he noticed was subconsciously wheezing. Scythe smirked, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the hedgehog snapped and bent into their will.

"Now, reconsider my offer thinking about this…but the worst is yet to come….Shall I list off the symptoms of the Hydra virus? Well, like the mythical beast it's named after I can more than assure you that the virus, too, is fierce."

Eggman paused, allowing the thoughts to brew in the crimson-quilled hedgehog's mind, "Within this hour Rouge will be induced into a pulmonary edema, where she will slowly drown in her own life fluid, blood. But of course if you accept my offer, I will give her the cure."

Eggman slowly elevated a translucent needle that was no bigger than his thumb. Smiling, he watched Shadow mentally chew the situation over in his head. The exhausted black hedgehog looked into Rouge's deep sapphire eyes, she returned his gaze with a look into her soul.

He saw the fear in her eyes although she tried to keep her composure and look strong. That thought gave Shadow's heart a lift; Rouge being brave in the face of danger. That was the fiery woman he had fallen for.

He would do his best to protect that fire, that flame he loved, even if it meant the extinguishment of his own. Eyes closed, Shadow bowed his head and whispered, "Fine, I accept your offer."

Rouge gasped and Eggman and Scythe smiled. "Done!"

* * *

To be continued!

Chapter Nine Theme: _'Stay With you'_-John Legend


	10. A dark new Shadow

_**UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

**LoVe'S bUrN **

By: UlTrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

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_Third person POV: _

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"Shadow! Don't do it!" Rouge cried, "Back out of his stupid little deal now!"

As she reached her hand out to grab one of Shadow's hands, it quickly returned to her mouth as she fell into a violent fit of coughs.

Shadow, Scythe, and Doctor Eggman all turned to look at her and Shadow's eyes widened once he saw a single tear of blood roll down Rouge's lips. Soft blue eyes returned his red-eyed gaze.

"So, then, her illness has already begun," Scythe said with a devious smile. Eggman turned to look at Shadow; the hedgehog was now officially putty in his hands, "Shall we continue, Shadow?"

Shadow gazed over at Rouge, who was still coughing violently, then at Scythe, and finally back at Eggman. "Yes." His eyes were hidden within shadows.

* * *

The red echidna's gloved hand raised a silver-framed picture to his stern face. It was an antique photograph of Dr. Gerald Robotnik, Maria, and Shadow posing together in front of the ARK.

"Damn, how old is that hedgehog?" Knuckles asked himself.

"Well, whatever his beauty secret is, I gotta know it."

A slight scuffle from across the room was detected and in the blink of an eye, Knuckles spun around and chucked the picture at the silent assassin behind him. But just as quick as Knuckles had thrown the picture, Metal Sonic avoided his attack.

"_Is that how you really feel about the Robotnik family_?"

"If the photo had Eggman in it, it would have been a smash-hit with you," Knuckles replied.

Knuckles started to head towards the exit, but Metal Sonic slid in front of him. And just as the guardian tried to maneuver around the android, Metal Sonic blocked his movements.

Slightly irritated, Knuckles glared at the robot, " Move outta the way!"

"_Primary objective, keep the echidna subject in the medical room perimeters and exert force if necessary,_" Metal Sonic bleeped.

Knuckles frowned then slowly made his way back to the plush bed. He flopped himself upon the bed and rested with his hands behind his head, "Well, _someone _hasn't been oiled in while."

If possible, Metal Sonic would have narrowed his eyes at the crimson warrior. And if the android knew the signal, he probably would have flipped the guardian off as well.

* * *

Eggman giddily smiled as he watched Shadow being shoved into a machine that looked like a glass capsule with wires attached to its skull. As Eggman danced around the machine, Scythe watched with great disgust, ' _Is this the same malicious dictator I serve!?_'

"Ah finally, phase one of my Earth domination plan commences! Shadow, aren't you excited to play a role in the awakening of a great new world domination?" Eggman asked.

"…Actually no, not really," Shadow remarked blandly.

"Well, like it or not, Shadow, I will turn you into a great assassin! And as of now, I reveal to you my latest and greatest invention yet! I call it the Phantasm!" Eggman exclaimed.

Finally Scythe sparked to life as he walked beside his creator, admiring Eggman's handiwork. He appeared before the machine gazing at lost in awe.

"Doctor, I'm dying to know what it can do to that punk hedgehog," Scythe said, walking beside Eggman.

Scythe reflected thoughtfully, "So what does it do exactly?"

"Ah yes, this great wonder, the Phantasm, explains what happened to our little echidna friend," Eggman said smiling.

Both Shadow and Scythe's eyes widened as they sharply turned their heads to gaze upon a smirking Eggman. "You mean Knuckles' super strength?" Shadow asked.

"Exactly. With this creation of mine, it takes sheer fury and enhances the strength, skill, and speed of the user. And with your abilities, you'll have at least quadruple your current strength and speed! And you shall become my notorious terminator!" Eggman roared, "Scythe, start the procedures! All this talk is getting me worked up!"

"No!" Rouge wailed, trembling hands cupping her face, "Don't do it! Please stop!"

"Right," the silver-eyed hedgehog ignored the sharp wail as he nodded his head and pressed a few buttons, and gazed at the Phantasm as the process begun.

* * *

Shadow's POV:

* * *

_I saw that damn hedgehog press a couple of buttons and I heard Eggman's new invention, the Phantasm, begin to emit a low murmur. I knew it was the beginning of the end for me. _

_But, before I could exchange strong words with Eggman, a sharp, high-pitched sound was emitted from the machine. I covered my ears and closed my eyes but no matter what I did, the screeching didn't get any better. _

_Once I opened my eyes, a purple-hued smoke began filling the capsule and I began to choke. Damn! This is not looking too good... _

_A chilly, icy sensation traveled across my spine. I was starting to feel extremely cold, as if I had been submerged in a snow storm. _

_Whatever this thing is, its slowly spreading through my body as if it was infecting, corrupting... _

_I banged on the fiberglass capsule, but nothing seemed to work and I felt myself beginning to black out; new violent, terrible images began to appear before me and even as I closed my eyes, the visions were still there. _

_No...I am slowly losing myself...these images... _

_Fire, blood, corpses... _

_Now, these images seem to be coming to life as I now hear a deep, rich insane laughter, and standing before the carnage is an unclear figure. _

_...No I'm...losing...control, I need to escape...machine...too strong.. _

_In my final effort of escape, I smashed my fist into the glass. _

_A crack rippled through the glass but it still stood and I felt myself slipping into the dark, circling purple clouds._ _My last gaze was upon the bat who released a silent scream. _

_The icy sensation was beginning to attack my mind, and slowly, the image of the laughing figure was becoming clearer... _

_He was me... _

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* * *

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Wisely enough, Scythe jumped away from the glass container as Shadow sent a flying fist across the visual window. A large spider-web crack rippled the viewing screen, but alas, the screen held its place.

"Whew, shit!" Scythe backed away, smiling nervously, "For a second I thought he was going to break through!"

As the encapsulated hedgehog collapsed, Eggman stepped forward, admiring the unconscious form. "He's even stronger than I dreamed," Eggman whispered.

Scythe glared at the tall human beside him; if he didn't know any better, he'd think his creator was falling for his slumbering foe. Both Eggman and Scythe's thoughts were broken with the shriek of a high-pitched wail.

Eggman and Scythe both turned to the sound of Rouge's furious cry. Her soft aqua eyes were filled with tears as she pounded her fist again the floor once more, "You bastards! What the hell are you doing to Shadow! Release him! _Release him now, or I swear I'll kill you_!"

Rouge smashed both of her fists into the floor and this time she coughed up blood. Scythe smirked and walked over to the caged bat. Light danced within his silver eyes.

"Don't cry, little white bat, all will soon pass."

He reached his hand in the cage to touch Rouge, but luckily enough, she smacked his hands away knowing that his intentions were impure.

"Keep your hands away from me!" She hissed.

"Scythe! Quit fooling around with batgirl and get over here and shut off my machine!" Eggman ordered.

Scythe muttered a few swears under his breath but attended to Eggman's request. Just as soon as Scythe was about to pull a lever to shut down the machine, a violent _boom_ from within the Phantasm and sent Eggman's creation on his rear.

"What the hell was that?" Scythe screamed furious, " Why I--"

"Silence!" Eggman insisted harshly, "Look!"

Eggman, Scythe, and Rouge turned their gaze at the window of the Phantasm. Thick, violet clouds were rolling away from a dark figure. In the midst of the purple clouds was a levitating figure. It was shrouded in a deep red aura, which almost matched the red streaks in its fur.

Its eyes were closed and both of its palms were raised to the sky. Surges of orange light sparked around the hovering being.

"Look at him!" Eggman cried in great awe, " He's so powerful that energy surges around him! Do you see the energy spikes Scythe? See! Look! Another orange spark!"

Normally Scythe would have been disgusted with the doctor's passion but currently, he was too stunned to say a word. What in the world had they done to Shadow?

"Sh-Shadow..." Rouge whispered, backing away slightly. Scythe turned to look at Eggman, " Why is he waiting?"

"Fool? Why do you think? He is waiting to be summoned!" Eggman hissed.

The professor turned to look at the levitating hedgehog, " Shadow?"

There was no response.

"Shadow, awaken!"

The dark hedgehog continued his meditative state; rubbing his chin in thought, Eggman decided to try another approach.

"Ah, forgive me," Eggman said, " Shadow, arise, as your true self, for you have been resurrected."

"...Yes...I have..."

Its blood red eyes opened and his line of vision fell upon the two faces of Dr. Eggman and Scythe. Slowly, the levitating hedgehog pointed towards his audience and the fiberglass shattered, exploding. Eggman and Scythe ducked and took cover.

Slowly, the black and red hedgehog descended to the ground. Almost blankly, he looked beyond his jaw-dropped nemeses. Before them stood the ultimate life form. His arms, legs, and chest were stacked with muscle, and his once-golden bracelets were updated to platinum.

"Welcome...Shadow," Eggman said, testing his perimeters.

"...Salutations," Shadow replied with an almost robotic. Scythe's eyes enviously scrolled over Shadow as he crossed his arms over his chest, _'Just who does he think he is_?'

"...The cure," Shadow more so demanded than asked; he turned his eerie, blank gaze upon the two figures before him. Eggman jumped from being startled, " SCYTHE!"

Scythe glared at the doctor, how dare he speak to him as if he was one of his lackeys, "Yes?"

"A deal's a deal, give the lady the cure," Eggman said still looking at Shadow. Scowling, Scythe took the antidote from Eggman and stormed over to Rouge. He glanced up at the white bat who was at the rear of the cage.

"Aw hell, are you going to make this difficult..._again_?"

"What have you done to him?" Rouge said softly. "I can feel that he's not the same Shadow."

Scythe smirked; ah females...they never really saw the larger picture of things.

"Of course not but now look at him, he's like a perfect machine. He is the perfect terminator," Scythe said.

"He's not my Shadow," Rouge said more so to herself. Scythe looked up at Rouge and smirked, "Life's a bitch, isn't it?"

In the blink of an eye he was behind the heartbroken bat. He twisted her around in a complete circle and painfully stabbed Rouge with the cure to make her grimace.

Sniffling, Rouge rubbed her arm and placed her aqua eyes upon Shadow. She felt a little frightened when she noticed he was returning her stare with a blank, intense gaze. In reflex, Rouge took a couple of steps backwards,

"Scythe! Get over here!" Eggman barked. Apathetically, Scythe appeared next to Eggman. "What, Doctor?"

"Just look at him, he's so powerful! Don't you just feel his power radiating off of him?" Eggman said.

"Yeah, of course…you might as well ask him to bend over, so you can kiss his ass some more," Scythe muttered.

"So, are you ready to become a legend, my assassin?" Eggman asked.

"...Yes," Shadow replied.

Scythe frowned, gazing at the dark hedgehog with the red aura, ' _Has he even blinked yet_?' Instantly Shadow turned his cool, unemotional gaze towards Scythe, " Yes I have..."

Scythe stumbled away from Shadow as Eggman stared at his creation, "H-how?"

"...I can use telepathy on very surface or obvious thoughts," Shadow replied, finally with a slight smirk.

"You have extrasensory perception?" Eggman said with a mixture of disbelief and awe, " Good Chaos...oh how I can't wait to see how you fair in your first mission! Your first mission is to destroy the Station Square's Bay Bridge and also any and everyone on that bridge."

"..." was Shadow's response.

Shadow looked away from the doctor and turned to walk out of the lair, however, before he did, he looked at Rouge one last time, long enough for the doctor to pick up an idea of what was going through his mind.

Thus, before he could leave, Eggman's voice stopped him. "Umm Shadow, what's catching your eye back there?"

Shadow stopped in the middle of his stride, "...What are you interrupting me for?" His red aura burst into a jet-black hue.

Mentally Eggman sweat-dropped. It appears that he had irritated the hedgehog...perhaps it'd be best for him to speak to Shadow in a much more polite tone.

Eggman scratched the back of his neck, "I have a question to ask of you and it's just a knack I've been wondering? Do you, by chance still have feelings for Rouge?"

"...No," Shadow replied.

"Really? Are you--"

"_NO_!" the black aura surged yet again. At the sound of these words, Rouge winced and silently tears rolled down her face. Once Scythe saw her reaction, he couldn't help but smile, '_Sucks_ _to be you..._'

"Shadow, before you destroy the Station Square Bay Bridge, I want you to assassinate our cute lil' batgirl and bring me proof that you killed her, by doing this task, you'll show your true colors," Eggman said softly.

Shadow paused, then turned to face her with icy eyes. Rouge, who was tear-ridden, looked as if she were in a daze.

"Chaos Spear!" Shadow hissed.

After summoning those words, Rouge's metal cage shattered into pieces and she soon found herself being carrying off in Shadow's strong arms. She made no resistance and stared blankly into space. Emotionless. In a matter of seconds, they were both gone.

"Are you sure he'll finish her off?" Scythe asked.

"Most definitely, his heart is stoned of all loving emotions; thus, he absolutely feels nothing for her," Eggman said.

Scythe frowned, looking to where the couple had been before; something about the new hedgehog had left an awful taste in his mouth.

"Scythe, get in here now! I need someone to play against in chess!" Scythe glared but obeyed, cursing the entire way.

* * *

Shadow glided through dark city ruins, where his sights where set upon an island in front of him. It was a desolate little island the moonlight had a magical effect over. It made the lakes glow and its bright aura spilled over the green, healthy trees and lit the entire island.

Being careful not to awake the slumbering prisoner in his hands, Shadow quietly whispered, "Chaos Control."

He quietly landed on the plant-fertile island and tenderly placed Rouge into a bush filled with beautiful laurels. The wind rippled through the white bat's fur, and she was gently awakened.

She looked over her new environment and gasped when she spotted Shadow looming over her. Shadow's narrow eyes strolled her over as she stared back at him, wide-eyed with fear. Finally making up his mind, Shadow grabbed her slender right arm and tore her sleeve off. He inspected her velvet sleeve and started to leave.

" Shadow, I thought you were going to--"

"Assassinate you? No," he said, finishing her sentence for her. Rouge's eyes widened; he had used his telepathy? She shook her head and dislodged the thought, asking what was truly on her mind, "Shadow, do you still love me?"

The black and red hedgehog remained silent. Rouge took this time to make her move. She slowly rose to her feet and gazed up at his taller form. Although he was inches away from her, Shadow's apathetic demeanor seemed to drive them even further apart.

She gathered her courage and stepped forward, "Does being around me still make your heart pound? Do you get butterflies from gazing upon me?"

She began approaching him slowly, ignoring that he took a couple of steps away from her. Rouge continued each stride undeterred. The huntress smiled slightly, "Do you believe a kiss will speed up your heart--"

"Do not ask too many questions, for you may not like their answers."

Rouge fell silent, believing whatever heart he had, it was crushed. Fighting back tears, she placed a hand over her heart, then she looked up at him with teary blue eyes, wondering...

"Then, why'd you bring me here? And not to Station Square?"

"You'll be safe here," he replied hastily. Rouge sighed softly, so maybe there still was hope.

"Safe from what?"

Shadow stopped in his tracks, "...I'm going to eventually destroy Station Square, and everyone who lives there…"

Rouge gasped, disbelieving every word she had heard, "Don't do it! You aren't like this! It's that machine of Eggman's you're listening to!"

"At this moment your words are as useful as a blunt blade. I will not be deterred in my choice of action. Stay here and live."

Shadow turned his back to her and began to leave. Determination flooded the batgirl and she stepped toward him as her eyes narrowed, "No! I won't loose you again!"

Rouge made a mad trek after the hedgehog but just as it seemed that she was in reach of him, a translucent red aura sparked and she fell backwards, landing in a heap of bushes. Shadow turned to look over his shoulder at her, "...Useless...except your position..."

He continued to trek his way through the garden, as tears poured down her face. Rouge was torn between anger, frustration, and sadness," I can't stop you! You've made that clear already! But before you leave me, answer one last question of mine….Are you going to kill Sonic, Tails, Amy, Cream, and Knuckles?"

"...If they are residing in Station Square then yes, they shall be terminated," Shadow answered.

"You can't! They're your friends!" Rouge exclaimed.

"They are no more!" Shadow hissed.

They stared at each other momentarily; a hot passionate anger from Rouge combated a cool, apathetic fury from Shadow. The black hedgehog found no more use for himself on the island and turned, starting on his way again.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment at Station Square to attend to, farewell."

He smirked at Rouge and shouted, "Chaos Control!" And in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Rouge uncovered her eyes from the bright blare of the Chaos Control. Sadly, she gazed at the place he had once been.

"Oh, Shadow, what have they done to you," Rouge sighed.

* * *

-To be continued!

Chapter Ten Theme: "_Tangled_"- Maroon Five


	11. A day at the Bay Bridge

**_UlTrRa_** **_SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: _**

**LoVe'S bUrN **

By: UlTrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

"_You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

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_Third person POV: _

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It was another gorgeous day at the Station Square's Bay Bridge, and today, since the traffic was busy with the mayor being in town and all, the traffic was monstrous. A familiar blue hedgehog had been requested to help with traffic duty. Being the glory hound that he was, Sonic instantly was more than obliged to help.

And besides that, he was more than happy to wave at his numerous fans who cheered and screamed at him with glee. Some girls he saw were even crying! Yep, it was great to be a hero!

However, one thing that Sonic didn't expect would happen today; within an hour, this bridge, along with all the life bustling on it, would be destroyed. For looming on top of the bridge was Shadow and he clearly remembered his objectives Dr. Eggman had prescribed.

* * *

_Scythe was monotonously slicing a burgundy apple in Eggman's laboratory. Ever since Rouge had gone, he found nothing worth spending his time on; all of the Doctor's experiments were dull and incompetent. _

_They all were the Doctor's mindless drones. As for the Doctor himself, he was rather a pain to converse with as well; all he spoke of was Shadow this, and Shadow that. _

_But what was it about that batgirl that fascinated him? Maybe it was her unblemished beauty and charm, maybe it was her sharp intellect, or maybe it was the challenge of trying to win something that he knew he could never have; her. _

_But for the moment, he was in solitude yet again. The black and silver hedgehog dropped the newly sliced apple pieces to join the rest of his collection of sliced apples. _

_Once he picked up another burgundy apple and began slicing it, he heard someone enter the laboratory, and unmistakably knew that it was him, Shadow. __Eggman happily rushed into the room to greet his new client. However, Scythe kept to himself and maintained his position of his back facing Shadow. _

_"Finally, Shadow, you have returned to me, and I assume that you have taken care of Rouge?" Eggman asked. _

_"Let's just say she's in a much better place now," Shadow cackled. _

_At the sound of Shadow's voice, Scythe sliced a deep gash in his index finger. He watched the blood pour from his finger and he slowly lapped the blood away, savoring its taste as if it was honey. _

_Shadow threw one of Rouge's velvet sleeves to the floor in front of Eggman. The doctor smiled contently, "Good, now, your next mission, as I said earlier, is to obliterate the Bay Bridge, and be sure to really mess it up. If I'm going to make a threat, then it must really look like I'm serious, understand?" _

_"Understood..." Shadow turned and left just as fast as he had come. Once the hedgehog had left, Scythe stood beside Eggman, watching Shadow leave. But what Shadow didn't hear was probably the most important conversation. _

_"Scythe, now you can tell Metal Sonic to release our red echidna friend and afterwards, follow Shadow to Bay Bridge and do as I have taught you, my child," Eggman smiled. _

_"What does the echidna have to do with all of this?" Scythe asked, staring after Eggman's gaze. _

_"Tell Metal Sonic to release him and in time you shall see, Scythe," the doctor growled. _

* * *

Shadow's dark eyes gazed down at the life below and once his sights fell upon the blue hedgehog, he felt unlimited rage and he felt his adrenaline building up. It was the azure hero who esteemed himself as his equal. How dare he; he shall pay for his insolence. Now was the time to attack. The blue hedgehog was busy waving off to his fans until a pink car pulled beside Sonic.

He put forward his best macho promenade and strolled towards the car. As the window rolled down he bent over and gave one of his famous toothy grins, only to receive a splash of water in his face.

Sonic's instantly spluttered backwards, fell over and looked up at the car with extremely big green puppy eyes. He looked at the passengers at the car to see Amy, Cream, and Tails holding a squirt gun while laughing their heads off.

While Sonic stared at them still trying to figure out what happened, he got doused with another gush of water from Tails' squirt gun. Tails, Amy, and Cream were laughing even harder while a small smile returned to Sonic's face as he got back up to his feet.

"Why you little shit!" Sonic smiled while putting Tails in a headlock and giving him a head rub with his fist.

"Help! Help! This blue weirdo is tryin' to kill me!" Tails cried, while still laughing.

"Anyways, we came by to tell you that we were gonna go to lunch at Joe's. Are you interested, you fine blue hedgehog?" Amy asked cheerfully, winking.

"You betcha! Have ten chilidogs waitin' for me when I get there, I'll be there in twenty minutes," Sonic said.

"Okay! See you later Sonic!" Tails said.

"Later lil' bud," Sonic said.

The pink car honked twice then started to drive off as Sonic waved them off smiling. He watched the pink buggy drive off until he saw a bright shaft of light collide with the traffic it was heading to.

"What in the world?" He cried.

The ray of light conflagrated into a fiery explosion that was so powerful that, even at the great distance he was at, it violently knocked him off his feet and he felt a wave of great heat radiate upon his flesh. Sweating, Sonic slowly rose to his feet and searched around for the pink buggy and, to his horror, he found it.

The force of the explosion sent the pink buggy flipping through the sky and it took a nosedive and crunched into the asphalt of the bridge, where the hood of the car ignited with fire. Sonic felt a queasy, searing feeling in his stomach as he remembered that his friends were still inside the car.

"Oh shit," Sonic whispered to himself.

Although his legs felt like jelly as he ran over to the car, he got to his destination as quickly as he could have. He felt the warmth of the fire from the explosion burning his back and making pelts of sweat roll down his back but he didn't care, his friends were in trouble.

Sonic tried to open the passenger side door but it wouldn't budge. He saw smoke filling the car. Then he looked in the car and saw that everyone was unconscious. He repeatedly tried to yank the door open but all his attempts failed.

He heard a slight moan and saw that Amy was slowly waking up. She saw the smoke in the car, looked over at Tails and Cream who was now conscious and crying, then saw Sonic. She saw words coming out of his mouth, but no sounds came out.

She saw her Sonic, her hero giving it his all to save them, to save her. Finally, with a strong war cry, Sonic busted the door down with shoulder. He pulled out the limp Tails, Cream, who was crying, and then reached out at Amy last, " You're safe with me."

Smiling, Amy took his hand and he pulled her out. He took them all away from the car that exploded only seconds later, and they all wound up on the asphalt. Sonic slowly got up off of Amy and laid Tails on the concrete.

"What the hell was that?" Sonic asked more to himself looking at the explosion. Cream merely stopped crying and Amy only stared at him.

Sonic turned to look at his friends and sighed, Amy had blood on half of her face and some all over her neck, and some also dripped from her ears, but she still looked like cute lil' Amy Rose.

Tails had cuts and glass in his face and arms, but he looked pretty good despite everything else, and Cream suffered no damage beside the nasty bruise around her left eye and a bloody nose.

Sonic was slightly relieved that the people he cared about the most were on the whole fine. Tails slowly opened his eyes but tried to rise to his feet and felt a hot pain in his torso. Sonic's keen ears heard Tails' movements, then he turned and looked at his little friend.

"Hey, welcome back, lil' bud," Sonic said with a gentle smile.

"Hey Sonic, I think I busted a rib," Tails said softly, "Correction, I know so."

"Just rest easy man, you're gonna be okay," Sonic reassured.

"I know, staying calm and remaining still are the trick to reduce pain. I've read numerous books on anatomy and skeletal structures," Tails said.

"Smart ass," Sonic said with a smile.

Tails smiled at Sonic then closed his eyes, saving his strength. Sonic turned to look at Amy and smiled, "Hey, you okay Ames?" Amy didn't say anything to Sonic but she only smiled at him. He took a knee to join her on the ground and wiped away the blood that was on her face with his glove.

"Shell-shocked, huh? Well, I'm just glad that you're all okay, you're stronger than I thought, Ames," Sonic said softly.

"Shonic! My 'ero! 'Ou're so wonderful! Tank 'ou for saving meh!" Amy yelled in an unusually loud voice.

She wrapped Sonic in a warm embrace and burst out crying in joy, Sonic smiled softly and returned her hug. While looking over her shoulder, Sonic detected something. Through the flames of the fire, he saw a familiar dark hedgehog approaching him, with eyes that mirrored the inferno.

"Shadow!" Sonic exclaimed.

He let go of Amy and approached the hedgehog, "Great timing man! We need some serious help here! And another thing, where have you been? You've had us all worried to death! You should have--"

"SILENCE!" Shadow barked. Sonic's eyes widened, startled a little from his reaction, "…What?"

" I came for your head, blue hedgehog," Shadow said in a voice that wasn't his own, "and for the souls of these other pathetic creatures."

"I don't understand what you mean," Sonic said a little confused. Shadow glowered, "Of course _you _do not, you are a dense moron."

"Hey, I'm starting to think that--"

"How many more souls do I have to burn in order to get to you?" Shadow hissed.

Sonic's eyes hardened as realization hit him like a pop-fly ball, " Y-you, you did this? How could you be so heartless, so spineless, you bastard?"

"I shall crush you, you deplorable fool," the demented Shadow hissed, curling his left fist into a ball.

"I hope you do, 'cause if you don't I'll split your wig!" Sonic growled, "You wont' get away with this!"

The two hedgehogs collided with each other; they interlocked their fingers in each other's hands and wrestled, trying to test their strength. They both gritted their teeth and hissed various swear words at each other.

However before long, Shadow's new strength came in handy as he was able to push Sonic flat on his back and if it wasn't for Sonic's quick evasiveness, Shadow's foot, which cracked the cement, would have plowed into the azure hedgehog's skull.

Sonic somersaulted backwards until he was back on his feet and once he looked up, he saw Shadow's fist connect with his face. His shot to Sonic's face sent the hedgehog tumbling backwards, where he landed next to Amy.

"Ou're beeding on 'or face, are 'ou okay Shonic?" Amy asked in rather loud and slurred words.

"AMY! GET OUTTA HERE!" Sonic shouted.

Amy didn't move at all.

"AMY! GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!" Sonic shouted even louder. Amy still didn't move but cocked her head at Sonic then turned to look at Shadow. She waved happily at him.

" CHAOS SPEAR!" Shadow summoned.

With a shaking fist, golden energy formed in his hand and he released it. A bright ripple of energy was headed straight for the pink hedgehog, and once she saw it coming at her, she covered her eyes and let out a shriek. Sonic ran quickly in front of Amy and stretched his arms out around her. He let out a howl of pain as he felt the heat and power of the attack torch the skin on his back.

Once the attack faded away, Sonic fell to his knees and then collapsed to the ground, allowing Amy to see his back, where most of his fur and blue spines had been burned off and replaced by burnt, bloody skin topped with black, oozing boils.

"No!" Amy cried.

She ran over to Sonic's side, holding his limp form in her hands, oblivious to the other hedgehog slowly approaching her. Amy gasped and looked up at Shadow and cried, " 'Ou bas'tard, wut did 'ou do to my Shonic?"

"Out of my way wench," Shadow hissed, "This does not concern you."

As Shadow walked passed Amy, she grabbed his arm and he jerked his arm away from her, sending her to the ground. Shadow raised his hand up over Sonic to strike him one last final time but he heard something, or someone scrabbling to their feet.

He turned his head disgustedly to look upon Amy who was now holding her Piko-Piko hammer. He noticed her knees were shaking and she held an expression mixed with both fear and anger.

Now _this_ was amusing...

"I dun't know wut is wong Shadow, but 'ou won't kill my Shonic!" Amy growled.

She sprang in the air and with a war cry she was plummeting towards Shadow with the hammer over her head. Shadow remained to look unimpressed and rolled his eyes. Once Amy was within kissing distance of him, he grabbed her as she clumsily dropped her hammer behind her.

"Enough of this foolishness, you simpleton! I've been very patient with you! Do not test me anymore!" Shadow's inverted voice hissed.

Amy stared at him, still scared, she kicked her feet and wiggled in his grasp but to no avail, she was trapped.

"Let me go! I—"

Amy gasped as tears welled in her eyes and her expression changed to one of great pain. Shadow instantly released her, believing himself to have harmed her. He dropped the pink hedgehog to see that she had a wound on her stomach. Shadow took a knee to get a closer look at Amy, who was gasping for air, until he saw a pair of Jordans land on Amy's wound.

She cried out in pain as Shadow reflexively batted the offender off of her. A black hedgehog stood staring at him almost happily. Something inside of the crimson-quilled hedgehog sparked.

Although he had indifferently attacked the blue hedgehog, something bothered him about having the pink hedgehog harmed. Shadow stared at the pink hedgehog who gasped for air, as tears rolled from her eyes; something about this picture made his blood boil.

But why did he care what befell the she-hedgehog? Slowly, Shadow's hands curled into trembling fists; for some unexplainably reason, he was furious, and wanted revenge for such an act against her.

"You are undoubtedly the biggest bastard I know," Shadow hissed angrily, red eyes flashing dangerously.

"Hopefully she will die painfully," Scythe said ignoring Shadow.

"You shall pay for harming her, it is me you are after, correct?"

"…So?" Scythe replied, smiling slightly.

"Then it is a fight with me you shall get!" Shadow hissed.

Shadow clenched his fists as he began to levitate. A flaming, deep red aura swallowed the hedgehog as his eyes began to glow, "You shall fall!"

Burning a trail through the sky, Shadow began to advance towards Scythe, grimacing. The silver and black hedgehog, Scythe, readied himself. He gained an offensive position and grinned wickedly; subconsciously, he licked his lips. The red aura clashed and melted into a silver aura as the two hedgehogs exchanged blow for blow.

* * *

Dull, emerald eyes watched the battle numbly as Amy Rose slowly exhaled air. They were moving much too fast for her to truly observe, and with her strength fading, the picture was beginning to become blurry.

The pink hedgehog felt a soft hand touch the side of her face, Amy slowly turned her face to the feel of the hand. A figure was towering above her, staring at her with great concern, and although the voice was muddled, Amy was able to make out the person's face, "…R-rou..ge?"

* * *

Scythe quickly backed away from the crimson-streaked hedgehog, panting slightly as his foe glared, "Damn…you fight like a demon…"

"…And unfortunately for you, I shall not stop until you are good and dead," Shadow hissed.

A distinct and different sound entered their playing field. It was the soft clicking on heels. Shadow spun around and saw Rouge looking around her surroundings. His eyes grew wide and he felt both surprised and angered; Just what in the world was she doing here? Hadn't he given her specific orders to avoid the Bay Bridge? Let alone Station Square?

"I thought I told you to stay away from here!" Shadow growled.

Rouge jumped slightly, obviously taken off-guard; how in the world did he spot her? She had managed to have hid herself well within the rubble! Scythe blinked, wait a minute, wasn't that the one captive Shadow had supposedly finished? The bat girl.

"She lives?" Scythe hissed. Rouge's eyes turned to Shadow who was staring at her angrily and that's when she realized she shouldn't have came to the Bridge at all.

* * *

To be continued!

Chapter Eleven Theme- "_Let The Bodies Hit the Floor_" -Drowning Pool


	12. Unwavering Resolve

_**UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

**LoVe'S bUrN **

By: UlTrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

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* * *

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_Rouge's POV: _

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* * *

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I had just recently found my way to the Bay Bridge and I was appalled at the sight before me. My eyes glazed over as I saw a large fire burning in the midst of the great bridge.

_'What happened here_?'

A small tear unconsciously escaped my eye as I scrutinized the bridge; all my childhood memories of playing on the bridge together with a handsome couple was slowly disintegrating before my eyes. All that stood before me now was a skeleton of an ostentatious bridge that once stood tall and proud.

I slowly ambled across the newly tarnished bridge; the structures of the bridge that I could recognize made me reminiscence on precious memories that were slowly beginning to fade.

* * *

_"Mommy! Daddy! Look at me! Look how fast I can run!"_

_I couldn't have been more than eight years old when I danced around the bridge, hoping to win the attention of my parents. A white bat stepped forward with a frown; that was my mother, dressed elegantly in a long, white dress that complimented her slender figure. _

_She was so beautiful; everyone thinks I'm attractive but if they saw her, they'd know that I pale in comparison to her. _

_"That's wonderful Rou-bear! Oh be careful! Stop running around dearie! Skin and asphalt don't mix very well! And you'll get all sweaty and smelly! Remember, we have to visit your dear Aunt!" _

_Ah yes, mother was very proper...how could I forget? I was such a little tomboy! Everyday I'd return home so filthy! It drove mother crazy! And I always hated the dresses mother tried to force me to wear! _

_They were such frilly, ridiculous things! _

_Another bat appeared next to my frowning mother, he was male, "Minerva, let the girl live a little! and besides, she's got a nice runner's stride! She'll be a great athlete someday, just like Daddy!" _

_Father...He was so strong, confident, he was the backbone of our family. Mother was always so high-strung, but father always knew how soothe her. They were perfect for each other. _

_" You spoil her much too often! She'll grow up and become so haughty!" mother scolded. _

_"...Just like her mother," father smiled at the look upon his wife's face. _

_"That's quite false, thank you very much!" My mother replied nudging my father slightly. _

_They fell into each other's arms, watching their daughter play, "...Just think, someday she'll love someone..." _

_Mother closed her eyes, " I hope she'll love someone as wonderful as you, Roy." _

_Father smiled as his daughter appeared before him, frowning, " Eww! I'll never love a boy! They have cooties!" _

_Father and mother exchanged looks before they laughed, " Someday you shall, Rou-bear." _

_As a little girl, I hugged my parents, "...But for a boy, I love you daddy..." _

* * *

I blinked back the tears and gradually took flight. I couldn't take much more of this; the memories were too deep! Seeing my past being destroyed like this...it's heart wrenching. But I'd have to hang around long enough to find Shadow; hopefully I'll find him before my aching heart forces me to flee.

And besides...I have to find whoever's responsible for destroying such a great structure. Before long, my search for the dark hedgehog ceased; I spotted two dark hedgehogs who seemed to be engaged in conversation and out of the two hedgehogs I was able to distinguish crimson streaks.

Shadow...

I landed far enough from the two hedgehogs to be hidden but as I slowly approached them, the clicking of my heels were audible and they turned to look at me. At that moment, I could have face-fallen.

_'Damn! So much for the secretive entrance_!'

I was hoping to be greeted by one of Shadow's rare, warm smiles but instead he snapped at me. "Rouge! I thought I told you to stay away from here!" He hissed.

I have to admit I was taken back by his rough tone but then, looking at the other dark hedgehog I knew why: standing ten feet away from me was Scythe. A mixture of fear and anger boiled up inside of me; bastard! He certainly wasn't going to see me loose my cool.

Scythe looked a little baffled with the whole situation, but then realization hit him and a dark glint lingered in his eyes.

Forgive me if I'm wrong...and I may have been a little paranoid at the time, but I'm pretty sure that Scythe was eying me boldly from head to toe. His dark gaze over me was so intense and smoldering that I began to feel a little shy and I crossed my arms over chest.

_'Just what is he staring at? This jump-suit isn't form-fitting in the least bit_!' The silver-eyed hedgehog scoffed, now turning his gaze to a raging Shadow; I believe the ultimate life-form found his inspection quite annoying as well.

"Never could throw away good ass, could you Shadow?" Scythe asked in a dark voice.

A dark, handsome smile crossed Shadow's face, one that almost made my knees buckle, "Heh, too bad you'll never get any."

Once Scythe heard that the color seemed to drain from his face and it distorted into an ugly grimace. Unlike Shadow's dark counterpart my face was radiant with color. '_Huh? What is he talking about? We haven't done ANYTHING!...Yet...Wait? What am I THINKING? AARGGH! There I go, thinking too much again!' _

Before I could ponder on my new thoughts anymore, with a cry of rage, Scythe came at Shadow with blinded fury. His blows and strikes at Shadow were too fast for me to witness, but there was one thing I was able to notice; Scythe's struggle.

As fluent and as fast as Scythe was, spiraling blows at Shadow, Shadow made it seem as if he was having no trouble blocking his punches. I was amazed by Shadow's skill that could almost be considered graceful. Scythe seemed to be getting frustrated but Shadow kept his calm, cool composure.

As fascinated as I was in their showdown, my eyes slipped over beside them, and I spotted Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Cream. My eyes widened and I ran over to them. '..._Oh no! What has befallen them_!'

"Oh no! Sonic! Amy! Tails!" I screamed.

...Please, please let them be okay! The only one of my friends I saw conscious was Cream who was standing over Tails sniffling. I gently called her name and motioned for her to come.

Cream, whose young, endearing face was ruined with tears, ran over and clung to my leg screaming and wailing. At that moment I almost felt like a mom when I picked her up and wooed her.

Cradling her in my arms, I checked the others and made sure they at least had a fighting chance of surviving. I was very pained to see Amy in her condition; her dress and hair were soaked with blood and her pupils were dilated. I didn't know what to say to the girl, but I gently touched her pretty face.

"Do you t'nk I'll die Rouze?" She pretty much yelled out. I frowned slightly; if I was going to comfort this girl, I must swallow my fearful emotions.

"You're gonna live, Amy, don't worry. I'm pretty sure the paramedics are on the way," I reassured, "Now just rest, okay? After this, I promise we'll go to the mall and shop 'til we drop!"

I took a knee next to Amy and looked up once more at Shadow and Scythe's fight. Scythe was drenched with sweat and was backing away from Shadow who had a triumphant gleam in his eyes.

"Give up?" Shadow asked arrogantly, placing one hand upon his hips, "You're no match for me. You're insufficient, lacking...obsolete..."

Scythe looked taken aback, as if Shadow had slapped him in the face with a dueling glove. Scythe's silver eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth. He stared down at the asphalt then turned to look at me.

I sat silently wondering what was floating through his head. A large grin spread across his face then he turned his focus back to Shadow who was staring at him, frowning slightly.

"You may be stronger than me hedgehog, but you're certainly too slow to keep up with me," he beckoned.

"I think not," Shadow replied simply, unfazed, "As a matter of fact, you're wearing proof of my superiority."

" Battle scars," Scythe snipped, "...they show who's fought harder."

Shadow smiled darkly, " Don't make me laugh, you're as good as gone. The only reason I haven't finished you off, is because of her, ( _Huh, he motioned towards me._) she will not see such violence."

"Do not flatter yourself," Scythe replied, voice rising,"For I am about to end this feud...NOW!"

Scythe summoned a blazing silver aura around himself and he out reached his muscular arms towards the cables of the bridge. He balled his fist tightly and smiled wickedly; eyes glinting terribly.

"Now then," Scythe growled venomously, " Taste true power! Raging lance!"

Remarkably, he released what seemed like a wave of energy towards the cables, snapping them all one by one. The support frame of the bridge began to shake and rumble furiously. His plan became crystal clear and I looked up at Shadow.

"Shadow!" I screamed worriedly.

"Shit!" Shadow muttered under his breath.

"Shadow! He's bringing the whole bridge down! Whadda we do?" I cried. In the midst of the rumbling bridge, Scythe threw his head back, laughing. He took a step forward, smiling wickedly. Light danced insiduously within his silvery eyes.

"There's thousands of souls on this bridge, let's just see how much of a hero you really are. Can you save them all?" Scythe mocked, "Hell, can you save yourself?"

Shadow glared at the dark hedgehog, who began to make his break away. "Shadow!" I cried again, "Forget him! We need to help our friends! Please!"

I could tell from the expression on Shadow's face that internal turmoil was broiling inside of him. He wanted to chase the offender and yet help his friends. Shadow grimaced, then turned to face me, " I will not aid them."

I gasped, " What?"

"They are not my allies, I have come to destroy them," Shadow replied, sounding very mechanical.

I was silent, staring at him, shaking with anger, "..If..If you do not help me..."

"However, I shall aid your efforts," Shadow replied.

"Grab Tails and Amy! You're a strong swimmer," he commanded.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I'll get Sonic...and do not fear, for I'm the ultimate life form," he said. I saw a slight smile upon his face, maybe there was a chance for him to beat Eggman's machine after all.

"What are you staring at? Get the show on the road!" he barked.

...Then again...

"Right..." I presented a false, wavering smile, but it soon faded when I heard the bridge began to moan and creek.

The strong cables that held the left side of the bridge began snapping like rubber bands and the bridge swayed to the right, acting like a sloping hill, as everything and everyone plummeted in the water.

Thousands of screams curdled the air and both Cream and myself screamed as we inevitably fell backwards, splashing into the icy, azure water. Shadow quickly grabbed Sonic and they both plunged into the water.

We both surfaced, and I tried to comprehend what Shadow was saying as he splashed around frantically, but with so much water he swallowed, it was very hard to understand him. " Roge, id ou geet omy an' ailz?"

I blinked, Amy and Tails! Oh shoot! I looked around furiously searching for them both and I easily spotted Amy who was bobbing helplessly in the water. I grabbed her and she joined Cream who had her arms wrapped around my neck.

With their combine weight I was struggling to stay afloat and I found myself gulping down salty water. But I had to go on and find Tails.

"Tails! Tails? Where are you!" I cried frustratedly.

"There he is, Rouge!" Cream said breaking her shell of taciturn. I looked up to see the little fox dog-paddling in the water. I forgot he knew how to swim but I anxiously approached him, as I knew his strength was fading.

"Hold on to me Tails, you're tired," I said.

"But what about you?" He asked considerately. This was no time for questions! Does one question the orders of his commander when they are at war? No!

"Just do it!" I snapped. Slowly, Tails wrapped his arms around my waist and I began to swim off. With the burden of three people weighing me down I barely had my nose above the water.

I turned to find Shadow and I felt my heart sink when I realized I couldn't find him. Emerging from the water, I spotted a gloved hand with a couple of golden bracelets upon it. I realized the victim was Shadow, who was sinking quickly. How stupider can I get today? Hedgehogs can't swim! So what about Scythe? Forget him, Shadow's my goal now.

"Shadow!" I cried.

I dove under and soared through the rushing water as I grabbed his hand. With all of my strength evaporating, I was pulled under deeper and I struggled, trying to bring us all to the surface.

Pumping my legs as hard as I could, I tried to reach the surface, ignoring the amount of water I was swallowing. I began choking on the water I was inhaling through my nose and I felt Tails trying to lead me to the surface, but there was no way I was going to let go of Shadow.

Moments later I began to feel dizzy and a red haze filled my mind. I slowly slipped into unconsciousness and released Shadow. The last thing I remember was watching Shadow and Sonic fall deeper towards the ocean trenches.

* * *

"Rouge? Rouge?"

"Miss Rouge, are you awake?"

"Ugh..."

I slowly opened my eyes to see Tails, Cream, and a few people in white coats hovering above me with bright, clean faces. Oh, was I so groggy and out of it. I must look terrible too!

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Miss Rouge," the white-coated vixen replied, "Oh by the way, I'm Dr. Laurel Vixen."

I nodded weakly, trying to be as polite as I could with this throbbing headache. I felt extremely dizzy and light-headed, not to mention that I felt as if my stomach was having a war with my insides.

"Tails, Cream, I'm so glad to see you're okay," I croaked hoarsely, "Is everyone else okay? What about Sonic and Amy and Shadow?"

"Sonic's fine, we'll bring him so you can see him," Cream said.

"But don't be too hard on him, he's taking it all too hard," Tails said.

"Taking what too hard?" I asked.

"Let's just say he's probably the slowest fastest hedgehog in the world," Tails said.

I arched an eyebrow in confusion but soon I heard loud, annoyed, angry yells.

"Hmm, a loud, and rambunctious voice...yep, that's definitely Sonic," I replied.

Moments later, Tails pushed in an angry Sonic who didn't look too thrilled with the fact that he was being pushed around in a wheelchair. He had his arms crossed and kept his jade eyes towards the ground.

"This isn't permanent, is it?" I asked quietly.

"Of course not, this is just until his back regains its strength, and until his quills on his lower back grow back," the female doctor replied.

"I'm gonna get Shadow! He fried the spikes right offa my ass! Every time I use the can, my ass burns!" Sonic screamed angrily.

I burst out laughing, "Don't worry, Sonic. If you want, I can buy you some pull-ups."

I fell into a deeper laughter and received a small smile from the cerulean hedgehog and a middle finger that followed.

"Well, at least it doesn't hurt to put that out," Sonic said.

"So, how's Amy?" I asked.

"She's perfectly fine, but the white-coats won't let us see her yet," Sonic said, " I wonder why."

"I'm just so glad that everyone's okay. I know there were a lot of lost lives, it's a tragedy," I said softly.

There was a moment of silence, but it was tawdrily interrupted when Tails blurted, " Wanna see Shadow now?" Everyone was quiet, staring at the little fox, then Sonic threw a paper-wad at Tails. "What room is he in?" I asked, ending the awkward silence.

"201," Tails replied.

With unwavering resolve, I slowly took to my feet...and of course, overestimating my strength, I slipped and would have fallen if it wasn't for my bed. Everyone's eyes widened and Dr. Vixen immediately ran over to me. Using her as a crutch and a guide, I was slowly taken to Shadow's room.

Together we opened the door, and in the bed was a slumbering black and red hedgehog. Once I laid my eyes on him, I felt relieved and smiled; he looked like a completely different person when he was asleep.

He looked as if he was completely relaxed. Seconds later, I detected a squeaking sound and I saw Tails bringing in the newly handicapped hedgehog.

"Is he going to live?" I asked.

"He'll definitely live," the doctor replied, nodding her head, "It's just a matter of time before he awakens again, but I reassure you he'll come to." I sighed, revealing my displeasure and I almost found myself lost in another cascade of tears until Laurel interrupted me.

"You know, if it wasn't for him I don't think you would have made it," the doctor said to me. She paused momentarily then continued, "Are you two a couple?'

I blinked then smiled, "Not exactly...and how did he save me?"

"Well, when we found you two, even in his weakened state, he was giving you CPR. If I'm correct, he had been giving it to you for two hours straight. The poor guy fainted when we arrived," the doctor said.

Blushing, I looked at the doctor, then at Shadow, "Really?"

"Wow, that's quite impressive!" Tails chirped.

Sonic scoffed, " Pssh! Yeah! I could make out with an unconscious chick for two hours straight, too!"

Tuning out Sonic's chatter, my eyes fell upon Shadow with a warm gaze. At that moment I couldn't help but look at him. If I could have, I would have let passionate and loving words flow easily from my lips, but the lump in my throat prevented me from doing so.

_'So he really does care for me_...'

I had a feeling the doctor knew what was going through my head and she smiled. "Well, I think I'll leave you alone now, " the doctor said with a smile. I took a seat on the bed beside Shadow, and I slowly caressed his face, "Thank you, Shadow."

"I think that's our sign to leave Sonic," Tails whispered to him.

"Hey, I'll leave when I'm good and ready!" Sonic hissed.

Tails wheeled the blue hedgehog out of the room, who was now sulking like a little preschooler. I watched them disappear then I turned to look at Shadow once more. I closed my eyes and gave him a kiss on his lips. I laid my head on his chest and closed my eyes.

"Thank you again, my love," I said softly, eyelids fluttering closed.

"Hey, don't do nothin' to him while he's asleep Rouge...He wants it _allllll_ when he's awake!"

I instantly snapped to attention, _"Crumble and die Grandpa Sonic_!"

* * *

_To be continued!_

Chapter Twelve Theme: "_Last Resort_"- Papa Roach


	13. A day in the Station Square hospital

_**UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

**LoVe'S bUrN **

By: UlTrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

"_You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

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_Third person POV: _

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_

It was a brand new day as the amicable city of Station Square was slowly piecing itself back together like a puzzle. Millions of people came to witness the renewing of the bridge, whether or not they themselves were involved in the rebuilding process.

Construction workers quickly scrambled to revive their fallen bridge which was once a totem of their history, news reporters babbled on endlessly, and bystanders loomed in massive flocks taking in everything, inquiringly.

Rescue ships glided smoothly on the large outstretch of big blue ahead. Rescue volunteers saved victims and hoisted them onto docks and piers where they were cloaked with thick cotton quilts and handed bubbling, foamy hot cocoa.

A little ways from the great Bay Bridge stood the Blue Ocean. Powerful but tranquil waves rolled upon a white-sand beach's shore and revealed a midnight sky-colored hedgehog. A second gush of waves swirled with thick white froth brought the hedgehog into consciousness.

He forced the unwelcome water out of his system through a violent fit of coughs and upheavals. With what little energy he had left, he accumulated enough strength to drag himself out of the ocean's grasp and plopped into the sand.

He turned himself on his back to gaze up at the sky, contemplating what his next move was to be, '_Damn, how am I gonna get outta this place?_'

Feeling dizzy, he spilled out another splurge of ocean water and fell on all fours. The dark hedgehog had always hated the weak, and the thought of himself being so pathetic made him even more infuriated.

Before he could express a nice, loud, juicy profanity, his keen ears picked up footsteps. His gaze fell upon a pair of black Mary Janes. He elevated his gaze; towering over the hedgehog was a butter-colored female hedgehog, returning his stare. "Umm, are you okay?"

* * *

_Station Square Hospital... _

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* * *

_

As the hours passed, working with the ever faithful Doctor Laurel, Rouge had regained her confidence in walking again, but even as good as the doctor was, Rouge simply refused to come within meters of a swimming pool.

_'A swimming pool? A swimming pool? That's the last thing on Earth I want see again...well...besides Sonic's face, at least...' _

Sonic, on cue, flipped her off. Tails and Cream were back to their normal selves, skipping around the hospital wishing everyone a good morning. Sonic finally came to terms that for three weeks he would be in a wheelchair, and yet he taught himself how to perform a wheelie even though eighty percent of the time he would end up flying out of the chair.

Shadow was still unconscious but in stable condition and today Sonic, Rouge, Tails, and Cream would be allowed to visit Amy. "So, why'd we have to wait this long to visit Amy?" Rouge asked wistfully. "And who's helping her?"

"Doctor Hubert? Honestly...he usually works with patients who recover from a traumatic event in their lives; these things do take quite a while," Laurel answered.

"But...I think personally, he was just trying to heighten Amy's bill," Sonic spewed bluntly.

"Sonic, not everyone in the world is out to get you," Rouge sighed angrily.

"Well everyone's been after me except, my mom, my pops, Tails, Amy, Knuckles...wait, he tried to kill me twice..."

"Of course they've been after you, look at the kind of guy you are," said Tails lightheartedly.

"If you weren't pushing my wheelchair..." Sonic growled, shaking his fist at the young fox, who was beaming.

They cut around a corner of a hallway which lead to another string of doorways. Laurel quickly guided them to a door labeled A-104, and with a turn of a knob, they entered another room.

Before them all stood a chubby indigo wolf dressed in a white coat, who was blinking up at them, and Amy Rose, who turned to look at them.

Although her expression was placid, she looked just plain awful, like someone had reported Sonic's death. Amy's face was glossy from the tears her eyes spilt, and her eyes themselves were only a few hues lighter than Shadow's crimson streaks. Not to mention the fact that right below her eyes were drooping, dark bags. It appeared as if Amy had aged ten years.

"Whoa, Ames, are you okay?" Sonic asked, feeling worried from just gazing upon her. The plump azure wolf released his grip on Amy's hand and walked over towards the huddle of friends, each of whom looked deeply worried.

"Boy, this is the uneasy part of my job..." the doctor said, wiping his brow with a handkerchief. "Well, let me start by introducing myself; I'm Doctor Hubert J. Foggly. But please call me Hubert."

"Hello Doctor Foggly...Well...what's...wrong?" Tails asked carefully.

Hubert sighed, he wiped his face lightly with a handkerchief, "Well, Amy is---"

"IS SHE GONNA DIE?" Cream blurted out, crying. Everyone in the room but Cream at that precise moment would have had anime sweatdrops.

"There, there now, little lady, she's fine," Hubert said, shushing Cream who was still blubbering, "She just has..."

"I wanna tell them," Amy said slowly and quietly.

Hubert smiled. "Fine, as you wish, young lady, just don't work yourself up."

"I-I, I can't hear well anymore..." she said, with tears filling her eyes. "I'm sound deaf..."

Her voice trailed away and she burst out crying. Everyone's jaws dropped and Sonic looked especially torn apart. He averted his gaze and glared at the floor; only if there was something he could have done to have protected her better. Rouge quickly limped over towards Amy and hugged her; she too started crying.

"Hubert, is she really deaf?" Laurel asked in a hushed whisper.

"Not exactly, but the finer things she won't be able to pick up anymore, like whispers. If you put both of your index fingers in both of your ears, that's somewhere around how well she can hear," he replied softly. "There's absolutely no possible way she can hear us now."

Sonic stared into space blankly, _'This couldn't really be happening_,' Then something snapped in him and he made as if to stand up and walk over to Amy, but instead, he fell flat on his face and Tails and Cream went to help him up.

"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!" Sonic blared angrily, pounding the ground with his fists.

Once Tails and Cream reached him, they began to help him up, but Sonic refused their help and snatched his arms away from them. He turned his head and glanced at Amy determinedly. He was going to walk to her, come Hell or high water.

"Sonic, no," Rouge said as if she had read his mind.

Slowly, and with a grimace on his face, Sonic shakily began to clamber to his feet. Sweat dribbled down his face, and his legs were trembling, threatening to give way and collapse.

With every second he stood, his legs were scorching with a white hot pain; it felt as if someone had pierced thousands of knives into his muscles. However, with determination as his foundation, Sonic didn't plan on giving up today. Slowly Sonic raised his leg and took a step.

His foot landed hard and he could feel his bones grating. He took another step towards Rouge and Amy and the pain was magnifying. He gritted his teeth and took another step hearing and feeling the cracks and snaps of his bones.

Now, only within six good steps of the bed the girls were sitting on, Sonic stood, legs trembling, and sweat pouring on his face. He took his third step, landed wrong, and twisted his ankle. He let out a howl of pain but kept on going.

"Sonic...stop..." Rouge said with her voice breaking.

With his final efforts, he took three quick steps and dived in the air towards Rouge and Amy who stared at him in disbelief. Emerald eyes blinked in a mixture of awe and surprise.

"S-sonic?" Amy said in surprise.

As he was headed right for her, she opened up her arms. "SONIC!"

...However, Sonic ended up zooming right past her and pummeling Rouge and pile-driving his face straight into her bosom. It took everyone a matter of seconds to realize what happened, and when they did, all faces turned red. Sonic instantly scrambled off of Rouge who looked ten times more than furious.

"Oops, sorry Rouge I guess my calculations were off a..."

"CREEP!" she exclaimed.

And with her strong hand, she planted him across the face with a slap that could have sent him across the room.

* * *

_A suburban neighborhood in Station Square...(3:00 PM)_

* * *

The golden female hedgehog slowly opened the door to her luxurious three-story house. Were her parents home yet? Her brown eyes darted around every corner of her house looking for any signs of life. Nope, there wasn't anyone. Her parents wouldn't be home from their meeting until eight.

Feeling relieved, she smiled and turned back to the front door to retrieve the boy she saved at the beach. As she spun around, the dark hedgehog was right behind her with a chilling smirk and she screamed.

"This is your house?" he said, looking at her.

The tall male hedgehog was gazing at her intensely as if he was trying to stare right through her and whether he was doing this intentionally or not, she felt petrified, or freaked out.

'_I really wish he'd stop that,'_ she thought, blinking up at him.

"Uh, yeah, this is actually my parent's place," she said, watching him wander off.

The male hedgehog was studying the girl's house, and picked up a family photo, inspecting it closely while the girl was curiously following behind him. It seemed that he had looked over every nook and cranny on her first floor. Just what was he doing anyways?

"Wow, you're feeling better already, aren't you? Just a few hours ago you were barely breathing! You were so weak!" She exclaimed. He felt his temper boiling over and he slammed the picture down. "Don't remind me, girl."

She jumped back a little. "I'm sorry! Don't take it out on me! And I have a name! I'm Daisy. What's your name?"

"Scythe," he answered indifferently. "I request your endorsement to use your lavatory facilities."

The girl blinked at him, "…A what?"

Scythe smiled slightly; ah yes, he had to remember that he was dealing with common simpletons now, this could take awhile to adjust to, due to the fact that he was used to the intellectual capabilities of his creator.

If he was going to accomplish anything, he was going to have to lower his standards to suit theirs. He'd have to be like a chameleon and change to fit in with his surrounding, no matter how crude they were, "Do you….have….a bathroom?"

The small hedgehog smiled; low, shoulder-length pig-tails bounced, "Yeah! Sure!"

"Direct me, then."

"Okay, when you go to the second floor, it's the first door you see, you can't miss it," Daisy said.

In a matter of seconds he had headed upstairs and found the bathroom. He flipped on a switch which lit a chandelier. Mentally, the hedgehog approved his surroundings. This met his standards nicely. Just as he stepped into the shower, he turned the faucet.

He winced slightly as the hot water burned his wounds. He closely his eyes as he was soon submerged in his own thoughts. Soon the drain was swirling with a mixture of blood and salt water.

He heard footsteps and turned his head to see the girl hedgehog looking him over from head to toe. The little heathen! How dare she! Where are her manners! "Do you mind?" he hissed.

"Oh, right! Sorry!" she said and she disappeared.

Scythe agitatedly watched her leave the room, then, knowing that she was gone, closed his eyes. The hot water was rushing through his fur and stinging his wounds on his tan skin. He removed what was left of his gloves and examined his bruised and bloody hands. He was resolved on paying Shadow back for what he did.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of the mirror and saw a little yellow hedgehog hiding behind a laundry hamper and peering at him. He lowered his eyelids and snapped around to look at her so fast that she jumped.

"HOW OLD ARE YOU!? THRITEEN?" he cried.

"I'm fourteen and a half, thank you very much!" She replied half startled and half angry.

"Whatever, half of nothing is still nothing," he said. And with that, he slammed the shower curtains closed.

* * *

_At the Station Square Hospital..._

* * *

Amy giggled happily, still oblivious to the situation that had just unfolded before her. "OH SHONIC! YOU'RE SO SWEET!" Amy cried, hugging him, "And you came all this way to see me! And are you crying?"

Sonic didn't respond, he only hung limply in her arms while his face burned from Rouge's slap. After a slap like that Sonic wondered why she so persistent with using her legs when she fought. She had enough savage power to rough-house and destroy any foe.

"If there's any tears...it's because I'm in great...pain," Sonic replied, glowering at Rouge.

Rouge rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I'm going to visit Shadow; at least he won't try anything!"

As Rouge left the room, Sonic retorted, "OF COURSE HE CAN'T TRY ANYTHING 'CAUSE HE'S IN A SOME KIND OF COMA!"

Deciding to ignore his comment, Rouge took the elevator and passed through a few corridors to reach Shadow's room. She slowly opened the door to see him resting peacefully. She walked up to his bed and sat beside him, running her hands through his quills.

Rouge couldn't help but smile when the hedgehog nuzzled his face into her arm. Then sighing slightly, she stared up at the ceiling, "You can't leave me here," she said softly.

She paused, thinking, "I love you. You're the boy I've given my heart to. Amy has her Sonic, now I want my Shadow. Please wake up...Please...you're the smartest, most handsome boy I've ever known."

Rouge closed her eyes, but she looked at the male hedgehog when she heard, "Oh really?"

Rouge sat up and blinked, almost jumping. She looked over to Shadow who was looking back up at her. His expression was neutral. If she wasn't so relieved, she would have had the life startled out of her.

"OH, SHADOW! YOU'RE AWAKE!" she cried.

Before he could reply, she locked him into a hug and kissed him multiple times. After she finished, Shadow stared at her wide-eyed and looked beyond bewildered.

Rouge smiled, this was one of the few times she was going to see him wearing that expression. Then she blinked, remembering her confessional before sleeping beauty awoke, "Oh!"

"Shadow! Umm...just how much of that lovey-dovey stuff did you hear, by the way?" Rouge said, with her face coloring like a beet.

Shadow smirked; he had heard the whole thing and sucked up the glory dry but he wasn't going to tell her that.

"Just enough," he replied.

"I'm so sorry for not listening to you at the bridge; you were right, I should have stayed on that island! But I was so worried about you!" she cried, grabbing his hands.

"You were?" he asked, looking surprised.

"Shadow, I love you! Of course I was," Rouge said, slightly blushing.

Shadow stared at her deeply, as if looking into a well, a light, joyful feeling spread through him. It was the same feeling he had had every time he gazed upon the bat. When the doctor had requested him to finish off the bat girl, his heart ached, unbeknownst to him.

He couldn't even think of harming her ;the idea had never passed through his mind; just as soon as Eggman had ordered him to kill her, Shadow had made up his mind to refuse the idea.

Shadow rubbed his temples; why did he feel this way? If he could find words to describe the way he felt when he looked at her, he'd use warm, captivating, enchanting, and…

And… he just wished he could…

The black hedgehog blinked, realizing where his last thought had been going; he turned to look at the white bat before him, who smiled at him softly, "Yes?"

"What is it about you that makes me feel this way? If anything happened to you, I feel like I'd go crazy…What have you done to me?" Shadow asked, searching her eyes for an answer.

Rouge smiled beautifully at him. He felt lighthearted and almost helplessly returned her smile. Before Rouge could plant another kiss upon the black hedgehog, the door was opened by Tails and Cream, who were more than happy to see Shadow awake.

"Shadow!" Both Tails and Cream cried.

They ran and hugged Shadow. Amy stayed behind Sonic, looking rather scared of him. But Sonic on the other hand looked extremely happy to see him.

"Shadow! Welcome back man! I'm so glad to see you!" Sonic cried.

Rouge arched an eyebrow, '_That's strange…' _

He rolled over to the bed until he was within a few feet of Shadow. "Hey bud, I've got something for your welcome back gift!"

"Interesting. Well, let me have it then," Shadow said.

Sonic smiled deviously, "You asked for it!"

The blue hedgehog's smile inversed and he reeled back and then punched Shadow in the face, and he fell backwards, blacking out.

* * *

To be continued!

Chapter Thirteen Theme: "_Little Miracles_"-Luther Vandross


	14. Amy's Day in Paradise

_**UlTTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

**LoVe'S bUrN **

By: UlTtrA ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did! But I do own Scythe & Daisy!

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel."_

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_Third Person POV: _

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* * *

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_The Station Square Hospital... _

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* * *

_

Sonic, Tails, Cream, and Rouge were gathered in a huddle looking over at Shadow. They all were looking upon the unconscious hedgehog knowing that when he woke up, someone was in big trouble. That someone being Sonic.

"Is Mr. Shadow awake yet?"

"You have eyes, DOES HE LOOK LIKE HE'S UP YET?"

"You're the one responsible for putting him down there in the first place, jerk!"

"Oh are you _so_ lucky you're a girl!"

"…Even if I was a guy, you wouldn't be able to reach me anyways."

"OH THAT'S IT! THAT'S—"

"Shut up! Look, he's moving!"

"Tails, Did _you_ tell _me _to shut up?"

"Look mister Sonic, he's awakening!

Shadow emitted a light groan, rubbing his head as he slowly opened his eyes. The images of his friends slowly became clearer as he sat blinking up at everyone. He saw Tails, Rouge and Cream smiling at him.

Then his sights fell upon the blue hedgehog…Tails, Rouge, and Cream all stopped smiling once they saw the anger that ignited in the dark hedgehog's eyes.

"Uh-oh," Tails said, with his ears dropping slightly.

"All battle stations...get ready," Rouge said more so under her breath.

"_Why you_—" Shadow growled.

Because of his agility, Shadow was able to get his hands around Sonic's neck, before both Tails and Rouge could react. From where they stood, it seemed as if the furious hedgehog was trying to ring the last drops of life out of the blue hero who was now screaming hysterically.

And who could blame him for screaming like a two-year older; at the angle the ultimate life form had positioned himself above Sonic, shadows slipped across his face, and both his sharp fangs and red eyes were vibrant.

At this very moment Shadow looked very much like a hell-bent demon. Fortunately for Sonic, Tails, Rouge and Cream were there to pull him off and put some distance between the two.

"Just let me murder him…it'll be _clean_, and _quick_," Shadow hissed.

"Shadow! We didn't risk putting you two in the same room for nothing! Please listen to me! And calm down! You're scaring Cream!" Rouge cried.

Shadow snorted, ran his hand through his quills, then turned to look at Rouge with his composure regained. Rouge sighed a breath of relief; it looked the day is saved...Then she blinked, remembering her previous thoughts.

"Phew! Okay, before we all kill each other, we are thinking of having a party for Amy…sorry you weren't….around to hear it," Rouge said to Shadow, smiling slightly as he frowned.

Then Sonic perked to life, as usual, at one of the worst moments. "I knocked you out good! We dumped t_ons_ of buckets of water on you, and you still didn't come back!" Sonic said gleefully.

There was an awkward silence for a moment, and everyone knew what was going to come next.

Shadow narrowed his eyes, and started a beeline for Sonic, some how bringing out his seemingly possessed 'alter ego.' Saved yet again, Rouge jumped in his way as Tails and Cream ran to Sonic. Shadow stopped before the shorter bat, staring at her with furious eyes.

"As I was saying, we were going to do something nice for Amy, make her feel special. I mean, in the accident, she lost most of her hearing," Rouge said, hoping to deter the dark hedgehog before her.

Shadow's demeanor took a complete revolution as he stared at Rouge with unusually large eyes, " What...happened to her?"

It seemed as if the tension in the room had multiplied; everyone stood tensely, suddenly finding Shadow's face much too complicated to stare at.

"...She lost her hearing in an accident," Rouge replied softly, trying to ignore the fact that she had told him a half-truth.

"...How terrible," Shadow started softly.

"But..." Tails stepped forward, " Why do you--"

The young fox stopped mid-sentence as he gazed upon the stern faces of Sonic and Rouge; apparently, they wished him to keep his information to himself.

Tails receded, then stared at the floor. An uncomfortable silence filled the air, as Shadow half wondered why the child had stopped speaking so suddenly. Well, whatever reason why he stopped, it had left a stale, uncomfortable atmosphere in the air.

The dark hedgehog coughed, then began, "Where is the rose hedgehog now?"

" Oh!" Tails said, snapping out of his trance-like state, "Currently? She's painting a sculptor in the art wing...Why do you ask?"

"Mild curiosity," Shadow replied.

"Okay, okay, but onto the party," Sonic replied.

" Yeah, so…what's the plan?" Cream asked.

A slightly devilish smile played upon Rouge's face as she took a step forward, towards the group. Blinking, everyone gazed at her, "We're gonna have some kind of celebration for Amy, and she'll love it!'

"Oh! How wonderful!" Cream cried, delighted.

"That'd be cool!" Tails said smiling.

" Yup, I thought so! We're going to hold it at the Sapphire park…you know, where we were at night," Rouge said winking suggestively at Shadow.

Sonic, Tails, and Cream turned to look at Shadow with mild interest, and Rouge's grin widened. But Shadow looked clueless.

"A park? I don't remember a thing…" Shadow said blandly.

Rouge's smile disappeared, "You don't remember?"

Then a thought hit the white bat and she frowned, "_Oh yeah Eggman's stupid machine_…" she thought.

"Anyways," Sonic interjected, "How are we gonna do this and surprise thing?"

"Well Sonic, we already thought of that," Tails said, "See, we're gonna have you and Shadow keep her distracted until six PM and—"

"WHAT? I am NOT keeping Amy company, especially with that thing!" Sonic cried, gesturing to a glowering Shadow.

"And I'm certainly not operating with _that_ blue moron," Shadow huffed, making Sonic scowl.

" And just what are you trying to get at faker?"

"Is that the only insult you are capable of formulating ,O intelligent one?"

"No! You fa—fa— SHADOW!"

"Will you two stop?" Rouge hissed, "Amy's in the art room right now! Hurry and find her!"

"_No! Not until I get that ultimate wife-form!_"

While Rouge was busy talking Sonic out of murdering Shadow, the black hedgehog sighed and lazily rolled his eyes.

"Sonic! Will you calm down? He didn't say anything about your mama…And Shadow, will you quit it?"

This piqued Shadow's attention, he frowned slightly and turned to face the white bat, "Why are you taking _his _side?"

Rouge's jaw stopped; he couldn't be serious! His tone almost sounded as if he was pouting...slightly," I am not taking his side!"

"Yes you are, why don't _you_ tell _him_ to grow up?" Shadow said, gesturing toward the azure hedgehog.

"I didn't say that to you!"

"Well, you certainly implied that."

"I did not!"

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Did too…"

"Did not!"

Sonic, Tails, and Cream all exchanged looks at each other all wondering just what was going on.

"Well, whatever, I've got other matters to attend to," Shadow answered.

"In another words, he doesn't want to do it," Sonic said.

Rouge glowered, "Like what? Being a jerk? You've been ice cold this whole day!"

"Ooooh!" Sonic, Tails and Cream cooed.

"Don't take that!" Sonic piped, clearly the blue hedgehog was bored, maybe if he pushed them hard enough they'd fight.

"What are you doing?" Tails whispered to his older companion.

"Hopefully, this'll turn into a full on fight!" Sonic snickered, " And if it does...I put my money on Rouge; look at her, she just looks ready to commence world war three!"

"Sonic! That's terrible! We don't want them to fight!" Tails said, shocked that his best friend could even be thinking of such things, "...And how could you _possibly_ say she'd win against him? My bet's with Shadow."

"What is your problem? Why are you always like this?" Shadow hissed.

"Like what? You're the one being a bastard! You bastard!" Rouge retorted.

"Whatever."

Every time Rouge and Shadow exchanged words, Sonic, Tails and Cream would interestedly look at the person speaking.

"Next time I need someone to wreck my mood, Shadow, you're second to none."

"…."

"What, too scared to talk your highness?"

"…"

"Hello? I'm talking to you here!"

Being ignored by Shadow was definitely eating away at Rouge's nerves and Shadow knew it was getting to her, he could see the expression upon her face. And now they were glaring at each other in a deadlock stare, not saying one word.

"Whoa, they've been staring at each other for at least ten minutes now," Tails said.

"Hey, if you're gonna kiss, do it already!" Sonic exclaimed.

The death glares being exchanged between Shadow and Rouge were broken up immediately and they both snapped their heads around to glare at Sonic.

"Whoa, my bad!" Sonic whimpered, " Go on, stare at each other maliciously again, I won't bother you ..."

Then Rouge sighed, there had to be another way to solve this problem, Shadow was being obstinate again, so..."Sonic please step up to the plate and find Amy…"

Sonic scoffed, "And what makes you think that I'm gonna listen to you?"

" Um, Sonic...wrong move," Tails replied, concern appearing on his face.

"Wha--?" Sonic began.

Before Sonic could squeeze out another word, Rouge zipped over to him and grabbed him by the collar, raising him to her eye level. Sonic was extremely surprised and was speechless, staring straight into Rouge's burning embers called eyes.

If they thought Shadow was intimidating when he first regained consciousness, they had seen nothing; compared to Rouge, she made him seem as friendly as a puppy.

"Now listen _here_, Sonic T. Hedgehog, I swear, if you don't make this thing work, I will _personally_ remove what is making you a man," Rouge growled, " Now then, you and Shadow will keep Amy busy until six then lead her to Sapphire Lake where we shall celebrate. Am I in any way _unclear_?"

Sonic shook his head, but Shadow rolled his eyes; however he did this once he wisely _distanced_ himself from her, "I'm sorry for that rose hedgehog, but I've got more important things to do."

And with that said, the dark hedgehog headed down the hallway, turning a corner. "Shadow? Get back here!" Rouge cried. She heaved Sonic to the side as if he weighed little and pursued the dark hedgehog.

"Are you okay, Mister Sonic?" Cream asked, " I thought you were going to die!"

"...And yet, I wonder why she doesn't use her hands to fight...she has plenty of strength," Sonic muttered.

Rouge quickly followed after Shadow who seemed to be just barely out of ear shot. Every corner she rounded, she appeared just in time to see the last of his magnificent quills vanish from sight.

_'Sheesh, even when he's not trying to loose someone he's fast_!'

Rouge made a mad dash and exited the hospital, "...?"

However, he was nowhere in sight. In front of her laid a busy block of Station Square…but there was no Shadow.

"Shadow? Shadow! Come back!" Rouge beckoned.

When there was no response, the white bat frowned, looking rather miserable and alone in the middle of a bumbling street.

"...Oh..."

* * *

_A suburban neighbor hood in Station Square (4:30 PM)..._

* * *

"Hey, whatcha doin', Scythe?"

The young hedgehog girl, no more than fifteen years of age, wandered into her room.And with her, she brought a tray of sweet pastries and tea made fresh from her kitchen. She entered her room and saw no sight of the black and silver hedgehog.

" Hmm, where'd he go?" she asked herself.

Then she caught glimpse of her window.

It was open.

She gently placed the tray down and rushed to the window. She looked out and saw a quick blur swoosh by on her roof. She stared harder and that same blur went by again. With a little more concentration she realized that her target, Scythe, was jumping and darting around throwing attacks with an amazing agility.

"Whoa!" she cried impressed.

The girl was beyond awed with his presentation of skills. She watched him secretly for a couple of minutes, enjoying his stealth and lithe combat dexterity.

" Maybe I should get a closer look! He wouldn't mind having an audience."

And with that, Daisy determined that she had to get a better look. She started her ascension by starting to climb the roof. The estate she scaled was multiple stories, and the roof would make a very far way to fall. And the higher she climbed, the more she began to regret it.

Before long, she was close to her goal, and was almost able to see Scythe clearly. She was almost close enough to catch the glinting of his silver irises; Daisy smiled. She took each step slowly, edging closer, frowning in thought, '_Boy, now I wish I hadn't had wore these clunky Mary janes...or this skirt today for that matter_.'

…Then Daisy did something very impractical that every person says not to do, _she looked down._

At that very moment she just realized how high up she was, and how crazy she was for pulling a stunt like this. Vertigo hit her like a semi-truck and she suddenly turned her foot the wrong way and fell. She let out a piercing shriek as she felt herself falling.

'_It's over, I'm gonna die so young_…' she thought.

She closed her eyes, expecting the worst, but once she realized that she felt no wind whizzing past her, she opened one eye. In her view, she saw an upside-down Scythe, looking at her unenthusiastically.

"Scythe! You saved me!" Daisy said sounding a good mixed of shocked and disbelief. "What are you doing, girl?" He retorted sharply, ignoring her previous statement.

Daisy was dangling over her parents' estate with Scythe's grip upon her left leg as her only insurance from the ground below. She stared at the dark hedgehog before her, finding herself amazed; he had darted over so quickly!

And if he saved her, then to some extent, he must have cared about her! Although his cold, piercing silver eyes said otherwise. Then Daisy frowned; wait a minute! Why was he upside down?

"Are you upside down? That's cool!" she cried, beginning to feel the blood rushing to her head.

"No, you are."

"Huh?" it was then, she realized that she was the one upside-down…and in a dress.

"Eep!" She gasped, her face burning, "Hey! I'm wearing a dress here!"

Scythe rolled his eyes, "Whatever, that's your fault…and you're fourteen, you don't _have _anything."

He moved her above the roof and instantly dropped her, none too gently. Daisy rubbed her head then turned to look fiercely at Scythe who went back to throwing punches at thin air.

He did a few back flips consecutively, then, feeling irked, he turned to look at the girl in the purple dress. He knew her eyes were on him, and for some reason he couldn't focus.

"_WHAT_?" he hissed, turning to look at her.

"Who are you?" she asked, unusually soft, " Normal people can't do that kind stuff! Are you a ninja? A samurai?"

Scythe smirked, "I guess you can say that."

Daisy smiled at the tall hedgehog, then noticed that he turned his gaze else where. Just when it seemed like they were actually starting a half decent conversation.

"Who's home?" Scythe asked.

Daisy maneuvered around Scythe to understand what he meant, then she saw a royal blue Escalade zoom into the estate's drive way. Daisy released a piercing scream that rattled Scythe's skull. He turned and looked at her irritably.

"Oh no! My parents are home! Oh no, oh no, oh no! They're gonna freak if they see you! I can't just bring a stranger home!"

"Didn't you?" he replied nonchalantly.

"I gotta hide you. Quick, use your ninja skills and get us out of here!" she cried.

Scythe stared at her a little longer, picked her up, then darted to and fro until they were both safely out of sight. " Ahhhh-- hey! This is kinda fun!" Daisy squealed with delight.

* * *

_The Station Square Hospital..._

* * *

Amy was painting a clay sculptor with careful strokes, every gentle swoop she made, was bound to be her finest. Both her apron and her arms were covered with clay and paint, but she didn't seem to mind. Sonic silently rolled up behind her then…

"HEY AMES!"

Amy screamed, then turned around and splattered paint all over another patient's work. "Oops," she whispered. Then she turned to face Sonic, "YES?"

"Hehe, hey Ames," Sonic said sheepishly, "Whatcha' makin'? Is that Shadow?"

Amy arched an eyebrow, " 'ince when was 'hadow boo?"

Now Sonic was the one who arched an eyebrow, " 'Orry I speak weird, swoshen 'ongue."

"Ahh," Sonic said understanding, Amy's face darkened, "Swollen ass." He said gesturing to himself.

Amy laughed, then she turned her head and she saw Shadow enter the room. She was a little ruffed by his presence, but he didn't appear hostile.

"…That's a pretty good Sonic," Shadow said looking at Amy's sculpture.

"_Ohhhh_, she made me! That's why it's blue!" Sonic said laughing, feeling stupid.

Both Shadow and Amy stared at Sonic as if he had missed the world easiest question. Then Sonic coughed, ready to change the subject, " Ames, what if we, Shadow and yours truly, said we'd take you out on a shopping spree?"

"REALLY?"

"Yep!"

"You're good to go and everything, right?"

"YEAH!"

Sonic smiled, "Let's blow this Popsicle stand!"

Sonic was ready to lead Amy out of the hospital, but he noticed that his dark counterpart had vanished yet again.

" Where's 'Hadow?" Amy asked.

"Bah, don't bother with him, he's been in one of his moods lately," Sonic said, " I think he just finally realized out that I'm better than he is."

* * *

The azure one led Amy to the Station Square mall…where she shopped until her heart was content. She bought thousands of shirts, dresses, and shoes, and traveled to hundreds of stores. After spending an hour with the pink hedgehog, Sonic was exhausted. And Amy was still revving to go.

"I…can't…go on…any longer…" Sonic moaned.

"If this is what it took to make you suffer why didn't I think of it earlier?"

Sonic's bored gaze cleared away and his green eyes found Shadow making steps his direction.

" Hey I thought you had—"

Sonic's cell phone began to chirp, but Shadow beat Sonic to punch and picked up the phone, "Sonic, are you there? It's me, Rouge."

"No, it's Shadow," he answered.

Rouge was silent for awhile, then there was a _very_ clear change in her tone, "Hmph…_where's Sonic_?"

Shadow turned to look at Sonic who was being squeezed to death by Amy, the blue hedgehog looked miserable and Shadow was loving every second of it.

"He's busy, what do you want?"

Rouge was quite again, contemplating her next move, "…Well, tell _Sonic_ that we're almost done here---Tails! Move that banner higher! Cream! Amy's allergic to blue cheese cookies! Tails, I don't care if you like airplanes…remove them _immediately_! We're almost done here just hang on!"

"She's a murder Rouge!" Sonic cried from across the mall, "Everything she sees she has to have! What kind of creature are we really dealing with?"

"…Tell Sonic I'm almost done here…"

"Fine…"

There was an awkward silence, then Shadow began to speak, "Umm, Rouge, I have something to tell yo—"

"Nuh-uh! Whatever it is, _save it_!" she hissed

"WHAT?"

_Click._ The line went dead...

" Hello? HELLO? _What_? _SHE JUST HUNG UP ON ME_? PSSH!"

Shadow, infuriated, closed the phone, threw it on the floor and stormed out muttering to himself. Sonic and Amy blinked, watching him tear off into the distance.

"Hey, if you didn't like Verzion that much, I'll switch…" Sonic piped.

* * *

_A suburban neighborhood in Station Square (5:30 PM)... _

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The young hedgehog child was busy roaming through her mother's closet. She tried on dresses in all colors of the rainbow and even the unknown hues. She also stacked her arms with multiple golden bracelets and puckered her lips as she placed on lipstick. Finally, after spending hours on her appearance, she topped it all off by placing a flower in her hair.

"I'm so gorgeous!" she squealed, "Not even that hardcore hottie will be able to resist me!"

While looking at her reflection she giggled then exited the master bedroom. She skipped out of the bedroom and she gasped, being greeted by two expected guests.

"_Mom_, _dad_?" she croaked.

"Hello Daisy! Playing dress up again?" Her mother asked, "My, do I have such a pretty little daughter!"

"Don't got any boys up there, do you honey?" Her father asked arching a playful eyebrow.

Both of her parents laughed and then _WHAM_! A door closed and walking out of the bathroom came Scythe. Both of her parents' turned pale and her mother screamed wildly. But Scythe strolled right by.

"Where's your room girl, I require rest," Scythe said to Daisy as if her parents weren't even standing there.

She pointed down the hall and he went straight into Daisy's room and both of her parents became silent, blinking up at him in both horror and curiosity. Momentarily, Scythe returned their gazes, " ...It's a good thing you take after your mother..."

Then he sauntered off towards his destination. Once the door closed, her parents found their voices.

"Daisy, who was that?" Her mother squealed.

"_How old is that boy!_?" Her father roared.

"He's my umm…Math tutor!" Daisy cried desperately.

"You're in honor's Algebra darling," her mother said slowly.

"Did I say math? I meant…um…Chemistry!"

A look of relief washed over both of her parents' faces, and Daisy slowly turned to follow Scythe. Then her mother put her hands on her hips, looking rather peeved, "Get back here _right now_ young lady! _Do I look stupid to you_?"

Daisy stopped in her tracks and gulped, "N-no mother…"

"I was a young girl once too, you know!" She barked, "And he obviously isn't a tutor! So you better explain to me right now who he is, 'cause when were math instructors ever that hot?"

* * *

_At Sapphire Lake Park (6:00 P.M.)..._

* * *

Sonic brought the oblivious Amy over to Sapphire Park a little while after six when the sky was blossoming into a veil of magenta. Amy complimented all the scenery around her from the lovely cherry blossom trees to the sparkling Sapphire Lake.

Once Amy reached the meadows lit by lamps and incense, she gasped once she saw picnic tables filled with exquisite foods and all her friends standing around her.

"_Surprise_!"

Amy's eyes grew wide from the shock, then once she realized what was going on, she smiled and her eyes filled with tears of happiness.

"I'm so happy!" she said.

Amy turned to see Rouge approaching her in a rather elegant black, fluttering dress; the kind the wind loved to pluck. Amy's smile widened as Rouge burst out laughing.

"ROUGE! YOU! YOU!" Amy cried playfully attacking her.

Then she hugged the ivory bat, "Thank you so much, Rouge."

"You're welcome Amy," Rouge said smiling, "Tails, Cream and I invited all your closet friends and family to your welcome back party."

Amy felt someone tap her shoulder, and to her surprise she saw Sonic upon crutches smiling at her, "Would you care to dance milady? The night is young…I'm hot…you're lookin' pretty good …my ass is sore…"

Amy smiled deviously, "Let's rock!"

"Hey_! That's my line_!" Sonic cried, then he returned her evil smile, "Now let's do this thang…Sonic-crutch style baby!"

Then Rouge arched an eyebrow, " Umm, Sonic, are you suppose to be on crutches yet?"

"Naaaww, but what's the worst that can happen?" He answered.

Rouge watched Amy and Sonic head off to the dance floor where people were dancing and laughing. Rouge smiled then took a seat at a nearby chair. She cheered them both on, laughing at Sonic's foolish antics.

Then she realized something. Everyone but her had their…to say, mate. Sonic and Amy were cranking it up on the dance floor, Tails and Cream were even dancing together, taking turns spinning each other, and even Amy's parents were eating together, laughing. Rouge sat alone now looking miserable, but hoping, just _hoping _that a certain someone would show up and…

"Excuse me miss, but is this seat taken?"

Rouge looked up to see a male bat hovering above her. He looked like her male counterpart, familiar glossy, pristine ivory fur, and two honest deep, lovely eyes.

"Oh, no, help yourself," She said smiling.

He took the closet seat next to her, and followed her lonely gaze to the dance floor, "Are you here alone?"

"Yes," Rouge answered, her eyes glinting with sadness.

"A lovely girl like yourself _alone_? Now that's a crime," he said with an almost over-friendly smile. Blushing, Rouge looked over at the boy next to her. Taking a better look at him, she noticed just how handsome he was.

…Especially those exquisite azure eyes, partially hidden away under three strands of bangs.

"By the way, I'm Terrance, what's your name? Goddess?"

Rouge beamed, "My name is Rouge…it's a pleasure to meet you, Terrance."

He smiled, throwing a wink, " The pleasure's all mine--Oh, you have something on your cheek, here--I'll get it."

"Oh, um, thanks," Rouge replied. Terrance bent in closer removing the foreign substance from her face.

* * *

The black hedgehog had made a mad dash for Amy's party, after searching store after store, he had finally found her the perfect gift. Although he had to pass through a few states to find it, it was well worth it.

Shadow made his way to a hill where he stood a couple of meters from the party. He couldn't help but smile slightly as he viewed the invited company. Slowly surveying the scene, he caught scent of a young, attractive bat sitting by herself in a form-flattering dress.

Just as Shadow made his way over towards her, another bat, this time a male, took the nearest seat to her.

Thinking nothing of their idle chat, Shadow continued his care-free amble towards the two. Then suddenly, the white bat leaned into her, Shadow stopped walking immediately.

...They were kissing...

* * *

"There, all better," Terrance said smiling, "Apparently, you enjoyed the cake a little too much."

Rouge laughed, coloring slightly, " What can I say, it's a vanilla white cake!"

The smile on the male bat's face grew, " Well, I'm definitely glad I came here to meet you, you're amazing."

Rouge blinked, flustered; she had barely known this guy for more than five minutes and here he was calling her amazing...it's kinda nice, actually. But before Rouge could reply...

"…But I wish I could say the same thing about you."

Both Rouge and Terrance turned around to see a familiar black hedgehog walking in from behind them. Terrance raised an eyebrow and Rouge gasped, "_Shadow_?"

* * *

To be continued!

Chapter Fourteen Theme: _' Lonely no more.'-_Rob Thomas


	15. How do I say?

_**UlTTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

**LoVe'S bUrN **

By: UlTtrrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

_You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

_

* * *

_

_Third Person POV: _

_

* * *

_

Rouge definitely had not seen this one coming, even if she had a crystal ball right under her nose. Approaching both her and Terrance was an infuriated hedgehog. Shadow at this very moment was like a bull…seeing red before his eyes. The hedgehog stared right through Terrance as if he was transparent, looking dead on upon Rouge.

Now, Terrance had absolutely no idea what was going on, but after surveying the scene: Shadow staring dead on at Rouge, and the bat avoiding his eye contact, he was able to put the clues together and now he decided to make his move.

"Umm, can I—"

Shadow's dead gaze on Rouge instantly shattered and with machine-like reflexes, he impulsively turned to look upon Terrance, and if possible, he gave the male white bat an even icier stare.

"...Help you?" Terrance finished unsurely.

"I came here to speak with _her_…" Shadow growled slowly, trying to keep his temper.

Shadow stared down at the bat before him, sneering slightly; what a pretty boy this character was! Hopefully fate would give him the opportunity to crunch in his nice, perfect face.

Oh wait a minute, hadn't he just witnessed them kissing? Yep, then fate had been kind to him; he'd get his chance to punch his lights out. Terrance stepped forward, "Look, whatever it—"

"I_ said _I came to speak with _her_…" Shadow growled, now tearing his gaze away from Rouge, " Unless you wish to contest that..."

Terrance stepped away from the hedgehog who burrowed him with daggers; clearly, whoever this stranger was, he was looking for a fight. Terrance himself knew a little about self defense; being an all-league wide- receiver for his entire high school career helped with that.

But something unsettling about the hedgehog before him told him to drop the fight. Anyone else would have been eating dirt by now. "What's your problem?" Terrance asked.

"Step aside, fool, this does not concern you," Shadow said brushing past him. Then Terrance made a very critical mistake, he put his hand on Shadow's shoulder.

This was the last straw for the hedgehog; by reflex, Shadow grabbed the offending appendage and heaved Terrance over his shoulder. The talented wide-receiver caught himself, preventing more damage and had started a trek towards the furious hedgehog.

"Shadow! Terrance! Stop!" Rouge cried.

Apparently, neither of the males had heard her, as Terrance continued his trek towards the dark hedgehog. Shadow took an offensive posture, smiling sinisterly; poor thing, he did not know what he was getting himself into.

The black hedgehog took off, appearing before the football player before he could even finish his first stride. Terrance flinched, taken off guard by the hedgehog's incredible speed, _'H-how did he do that, I'm fast...but this guy is...smokin'!' _

Before Shadow could hit Terrance with a blow, Shadow felt a hand grab his own balled fist. Shadow snarled, glancing over his shoulder, but his expression changed when he saw the person holding his hand, "...Rouge?"

Rouge slowly released his hand as she slipped over to Terrance's side. Shadow stared at her with an expression mixed with confusion and anger, "...What?"

"Leave me alone," she said weakly.

Shadow and Terrance both turned to look at her, "What?"

"_I said, leave me alone, Shadow,_" Rouge hissed wretchedly, she hadn't meant the words to be so harsh, but they came out fluently, "_Stay the hell away from me_."

Shadow winced, as if someone had slid their nails upon a blackboard. He didn't know how to respond, and gazed upon her momentarily with lost eyes. Rouge looked at him sympathetically, wishing she could have taken her words back.

'_Is he sad? What's going through his mind? Did I hurt his feelings_?' Rouge pondered, searching his eyes for an answer.

" Shadow, I--"

Then another expression washed over his face, only this time one of anger, if possible, his words came out more malicious then hers, "What is with you? I only came to talk to you!"

And as predicted, Rouge became angered as well, "Oh, so now you want to talk to me? Well I'm through with words! And _I'm through…with you_!"

Rouge's eyes narrowed into small slits as her newly painted cherry-red lips had curved into a snarl.

" Fine, it doesn't matter to me," Shadow scoffed, enjoying the sight of Rouge becoming more upset.

"Fine!" Rouge said, clearly hurt; it wasn't his words that hurt her the most, it was the accompaniment of his callous tone.

Her mind was racing, she had to think of a way to get him back...but how? Then her eyes fell upon the young, handsome bat beside her. Without second thought, Rouge grabbed the football player by his collar, and forcefully kissed him.

If possible, Shadow's mouth would have dropped to the floor, he watched Rouge wrap her arms around Terrance, kissing him passionately, giving him a taste of her favor; and of course Terrance was more than happy to follow her lead.

The dark hedgehog suddenly felt a painful aching in the pit of his stomach; he felt as hollow as wood. He stood stupidly, gazing at his love, the one he had once given his heart to, the one he protected so fiercely…who now had her lips entwined in another man's.

With every passing second, the hedgehog felt himself beginning to tremble; shaking with fear and anger. This was too much for the dark hedgehog and he felt himself loosing control, losing his composure. Suddenly a very furious, almost insane look crossed his face. He clenched his fists and turned away, skating off at the speed of sound.

Rouge watched him tear off; her external appearance was perfectly clever and calm, almost arrogant, but the inside was crying and shouting, "_Shadow! Shadow! Save me_! _Forgive me! I love you_!"

Before the hedgehog left, she had seen his face contort, as in the manner of preparing to cry…

" Jerk, come on, let's go somewhere else, he's finally gone," Terrance said, entwining his arms with hers.

The haughty expression on her face disappeared and she began to blink back tears as Terrance led her away from the scene.

* * *

_A suburban neighborhood…(7:30 PM_…)

* * *

"Must I really do this, this is nonsense! And overly feminine!"

"Every guy needs a soft side."

"Well, not me and if I do this, what's in it for me?"

"Stop it! Would being nice for a second kill you?

"…Yes…"

Scythe was in the young, yellow hedgehog's room, and rather displeased. He crossed his arms glowering at her. How could she have some of his stature doing such childish and girly things?

"Okay, now that you're done with your tantrum," Daisy harrumphed, "we shall begin!"

The yellow hedgehog smoothed out her dress, then leaned forward, smiling at the frowning hedgehog before her. "Would you like s'more tea, mister?" Daisy asked picking up a tea kettle.

Scythe sat across the table from Daisy with his arms crossed, scowling at her. He had absolutely no desire or plan in playing tea time with a little girl. So he stared at her, not saying one word.

"It's your turn to talk now, remember your lines!" She whispered to him, then she cleared her throat and continued, "So would you like s'more tea, sir?"

"Girl, this is stupid! I shall not be involved in such balderdash…"

"Huh? What's a 'balderdash'?" She asked innocently cocking her head to the side.

"It means that I won't be involved in this _shit_…"

Daisy gasped, "No! No! No! You shouldn't say such nasty words!" Scythe smiles "But…I'll forgive you, if you keep playing teatime with me! (Scythe frowns) Okay, now where were we…oh yes…it's _your_ turn…"

Scythe sighed, '_For once I think I might be actually missing the doctor_…'

"Come on and hurry up Scythe…this teakettle is really hot!" Daisy sniffled, blinking back her tears.

Scythe grimaced, "Yes, I'll take a cup, miss."

Daisy smiled, "Thank you! It's fresh from the pot and piping hot! So, where do you come from stranger?"

Daisy fills up a pink, gaudy mug with steaming tea, and Scythe discontentedly watches the steam circle and swirl in his mug, then continues his role, "Well, I really don't..(_**Damn this is so hokey…why am I doing this**_?) have a home, I travel wherever the wind takes me."

Scythe sipped the tea and almost gagged, coughing violently.

...This was not in the script.

"_Oh, how mysterious mister_—"

"**Virgo, Virgo Starchaser**… "

Daisy gasped, appearing surprised, "_The Virgo Starchaser? The hero who single-handedly captured twelve hoodlums with only one hand? Oh my! I only thought you were a legend_!"

Virgo smirked, "**Yes, most folks around here don't know the real story… By the way, thank you for the tea, miss**—"

"_Summer, Summer Starlet,_" Summer replied brightly, wiping the counter down.

As Summer cleaned the table, she felt a soft hand touch her arm. The brown-eyed waitress slowly raised her gaze to stare into the silver eyes of Virgo Starchaser, "**My, I never realized…how lovely you are, ma'am**.."

Blushing, Summer laughed, _"Thank you Mr. Starchaser…I think you just want a free cup of tea!" _

Virgo arched an eye brow,** "But do you really know what I want?" **

"_What_?" Summer asked breathlessly.

Scythe, still uninterested walked over to Daisy and dipped her backwards in his arms as he leans forward.

_"M-mister Starchaser…" _Summer gasped, dainty hands covering her flushing face.

Virgo gazed at her intensely, **"Please, call me Virgo_…" _**

Summer turned her head slightly, _"Virgo…Please I.." _

Virgo turned her face so she gazed into his eyes, **"Fill this hole in my heart, Summer…and take the rain clouds out of my sky**_…" _

Summer closed her eyes and puckered up; waiting for a kiss from her hero, but Scythe stared at her blankly and…

" …Okay, that's all of this I can take!"

…He dropped her.

"WAH!" Daisy fell backwards, missing her tea table, "Hey! That's not in the script!" She watched Scythe slowly exiting her room, "HEY! Where are you going? I want my romance--er, tea party!"

Scythe turned to look at her and in his most romantic voice he said, "** Ma'am, Virgo Starchaser has to go yonder and take a manly pee-pee on the potty. Ta-ta." **

Daisy sighed as Scythe headed away, laughing at his own humor, "...Well, at least he's in character..."

* * *

_ Sapphire Lake Park...(9:30 P.M.)... _

_

* * *

_

"Want some cake, Cream?" Tails asked.

"Oh please! That sounds yummy!" Cream chimed.

"And after cake, wanna dance?" Tails asked.

"Again? Yeah!" Cream said with a mouthful of buttercake.

They both chomped down their food and ran to the floor. Next to them on the floor was Sonic and Amy dancing together.

"Hey Ames, watch this new break dancing move I invented!"

"Are y'u s'pose to be doiwg 'at kind of stuff?"

Sonic dropped his crutches and began break dancing…at way too fast speeds…Then Amy heard a loud _crack_! And she ran over to him.

"SONIC! WHAT WAS 'AT?" She cried.

"I don't know…but can one possibly…break their ass? I think I just did…"

Amy dragged Sonic and his crutches off of the dance floor. As soon as they left the floor, a slow song began to play, and Rouge cuddled next to Terrance, rocking slowly to the rhythm of the music.

"Enjoying yourself tonight, Rouge?" Terrance asked thoughtfully.

"Mmm, yes I am, thank you Terrance," Rouge said softly.

She snuggled her head upon his chest, listening to the soft thumping of his heart. Before long, the gentle, slow jam finished and they left the floor, with Terrance leading her by hand.

They sat under a tree, enjoying the gentle breeze, and splendid night time festivities. Rouge was busy admiring the stars, pointing out each of the constellations…however, Terrance was busy admiring the star gazer.

"My, look at the stars, they're beautiful, aren't they?" Rouge asked.

"Just perfect," Terrance said not removing his eyes from her.

Rouge looked over at him and laughed, "Okay then Romeo, how about you get us a couple of drinks? Punch for me, please!"

Terrance smiled at her, "How can I say no to such an angel?"

Then he strolled over towards the refreshment table, whistling, and waving to a few familiar faces. While Terrance strolled away, Rouge looked up into the stars, and she swore that she saw a consolation that resembled a hedgehog. Her smile faded then she looked miserable yet again.

"Shadow..."

* * *

_At the Sapphire Lake... (Library…) _

_

* * *

_

A little distance away from the Park, was a two-story library, which had a very clear view of the lake itself. Shadow rested in one of the rooms strictly prohibiting any sort of noise besides page flipping.

Shadow buried his face away in the depths of his fingers. He slowly moved his hands from his face once he heard giggling. He looked up to see two females giggling at him and once he looked at them, they both squealed and hid their faces in magazines.

Shadow rolled his eyes, then went to his least favorite section of the library, known as the noisy room. With a turn of a knob, he entered the room which was filled with laughter and pointless chattering. The television in the room was rather loud as well.

Shadow took a seat in there, more than relieved to be away from those two girls. He looked around at everyone in the noisy room; they all seemed to be happy and carefree…he felt like the odd man out in this matter.

He looked up at the television, and ironically enough, it was one of those mushy, love soap operas. This just wasn't his day and then suddenly, the soap opera was interrupted by a newscast.

"We interrupt this program for a breaking story, but we have the latest cover story about demolition of the three hundred year-old Bay Bridge, and now we turn to Luke for our story."

"Thank you Shade, and now, I have some footage to show you, regarding our historic bridge."

A picture began to play with the news reporter's voice giving a narration, almost as if the film was a book.

"Just recently, we received this information from one of our satellites. This signal was broadcasted from the Sahara desert."

The image on the television showed a picture of a golden pyramid, and waiting at an edge was a red echidna. Muscular arms locked crossed his chest, he stared off into the distance as if he was expecting an arrival.

His eyes were narrow, and his jaw was firmly set into a grimace. The wind blew scattered quills into his eyes, but they remained unblinking and focused.

Shadow stared harder at the picture, and undoubtedly knew that it was the revved up Knuckles, with those same, familiar, cold, lost red eyes. Eggman had used his invention upon the echidna yet again and now, he was using him as his primary defense.

The picture suddenly changed its focus onto Eggman, who was looking rather pleased with himself. He sat behind a large marble desk, with his hands clasped together. Looking pleased with himself as usual.

"Good day and night to all, if you have received this broadcast then this means that the Bay Bridge has been conquered. Fortunately enough for me, this means that I am able to commence my second phase of my plan."

Footage of the demolished Bay Bridge was played. Shadow narrowed his eyes slightly as he gazed upon footage of both Scythe and his past self standing on the bridge.

Their mouths moved soundlessly, giving proof that their had been some dialogue between the two. However, he snapped to attention as he instantly recognized Scythe's gesture as he pointed towards the cables of the bridge. The audience in the library gasped at the silverish light that spawned from his hands and snapped the cables effortlessly.

The footage ended and returned to Eggman, he continued, smiling, "However, unfortunately for you all, there shall be, let's say new propositions. This is directed towards the president or to any high ranking military personals, if you do not surrender the government, and give me total tyranny, then the Bay bridge shall not be the last structure to fall."

He Paused slightly, as if thinking, "…I have always had my sites set for New York…or maybe even Washington DC…You have seventy two hours…and if you keep me waiting beyond then, I shall make you regret your existence upon this Earth."

The picture faded and the newscast continued; the people in the room began chattering and asking questions. Just what was all of that about?

"Is this for real?"

"Who's Eggman?"

"Why is his base in the Sahara Desert?"

Then, another voice entered the room

"Umm, excuse me, but is there a 'Shadow Hedgehog' in this room?"

Shadow turned his head towards the entrance of the room, and there, standing before him was Rouge waiting awkwardly, peering around the room.

Some of the people looked at her in awe, others ignored her and a good majority of the male audience in the room whispered profane comments about the bat's hourglass figure.

Shadow stared down at the table; decisions, decisions, should he rush over to Rouge like a puppy, or should he leave her there, high and dry. Well for one thing, he wasn't going to run over to her and appear desperate; it just wasn't his style. Slowly, Shadow rose out of his chair.

Once she saw Shadow rise out of his seat she looked at little startled but motioned him to follow her, '_This ought to be good_…' he thought to himself.

Rouge led him to the scenic route of the Lake where they had walked around together awhile ago. Although her back was to the hedgehog, she could feel his eyes boaring through her. The tension between them was uncomfortable, so...

"Shadow," She said sighing, "look I have something to say and—"

"Don't even waste your breath," Shadow said bluntly, "I don't want to know nor do I care."

"Shadow!" Rouge cried, "Please listen! This isn't about us! This time it's about Eggman!"

"I'll find him and I'll finish him, done deal," Shadow said hastily

"_In the Sahara Desert_? That place is huge!" Rouge said skeptically, "You won't find him until you've died of dehydration!"

"Rouge, I really don't care anymore," Shadow hissed, "He could blow up everyone on this planet, and I'd just watch it all unfold!"

Rouge closed her eyes and turned her head slightly; every word he had said, he had meant. But how could he be so cold? This wasn't the same guy she we sparred with in the gym, or the same guy she had dinner with.

"Then why are you going back there?" Rouge asked gently.

"For revenge, how dare he encapsulate me, and think he can get away with it scott-free," Shadow said, "He's going to get his tenfold."

There was a slight silence between them until Rouge snapped her head in Shadow's direction with eyes aflame, "Selfish!"

Shadow narrowed his eyes, " Excuse me?"

"You're so selfish!" Rouge said raising her voice.

"Are you done yet? Why don't you go back to Terrance now?" Shadow hissed, raising his voice above hers.

Rouge turned to look at him, "So this is what your angers' about, you're jealous of Terrance! Aren't you? You're acting so immature!"

"Jealous? _Jealous_? Of him? Ha! That really makes me laugh!" Shadow scoffed, "As if I was jealous of that guy!"

"I think you're just jealous 'cause I kissed him!" Rouge said scoffing at him.

"Jealous of him 'cause you…kissed him? It's not like I couldn't steal one off of you when I wanted…"

Rouge laughed, "Oh really? You think you're that smooth?"

"Try me…"

"Fine!" Rouge said with a smile, "But--"

Rouge was cut off mid-sentence as she felt Shadow's warm lips pressed against hers. Once he broke off the kiss, Rouge's face flushed a deep red, and Shadow laughed. _Game set and match. _

"Th-that doesn't count!" Rouge replied.

"You think that was something, little girl? Just watch this!" Shadow said with a demonic smile. Rouge stepped away from the dark hedgehog, " Sh-shadow stop! ...Ahhhhhh!"

Rouge began to run as Shadow chased after her. Since he was thoroughly enjoying this, he left her run a couple of meters until he caught her, effortlessly. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to the ground.

"Ahh!" Rouge cried as she was tackled.

"Did you really think you could escape the ultimate life form?" Shadow asked, wrapping both arms around the laughing bat.

He began to tickle Rouge, sending her into a laughing-frenzy. And with his lighting fast movements, Rouge was barely able to keep her breath. She eventually fell backwards landing in a thick, green flower patch, giggling, "Shadow! I can…barely…breathe! Stop it!"

Shadow plopped on the ground next to her looking rather smugly, "You never were ready for the ultimate life form, Give up!"

"Never!" Rouge cried, and just as soon as she had fallen, she sprung up to her feet and tackled him. The momentum of her spring had knocked Shadow backwards and they both ended up tumbling down a hill, rolling and screaming like idiots until they reached the bottom.

Shadow punctuated his landing and pinned her. Blinking, Rouge looked up at Shadow as he smiled not too subtly; the king had to claim his throne; somehow, "I win."

"Yes you win," Rouge said softly, smiling lovely.

Shadow suddenly noticed that he was piled on top of Rouge, out of courtesy he quickly made an effort to get up off of her but then, he felt a gentle tug on the collar of his shirt.

…It was Rouge! He glanced back down at her and explored her face. She looked back at him with a lovely, seductive gaze in her eyes, and with her index finger, she motioned him to come nearer.

"Touch me," she whispered in his ear, "Talk to me,"

Shadow stared at her; he slowly placed his hands upon her face, slowly tracing his fingers around the edges of her smile. Then…almost like a vision, he saw something. He saw both himself and Rouge walking around the lake…

'_What is this, some kind of dream? A fantasy possibly_?' Shadow thought to himself.

Every time either one of them spoke, their mouths moved, but nothing came out, then he saw Rouge crying, then he watched himself wipe away her tears and kiss her…

…Returning to the present, Shadow looked at Rouge, her loving gaze shone upon him, "I'll never feel this way about anyone else," Shadow whispered, running a hand through Rouge's hair, "And I'm sorry if I ever hurt you, I promise, I'll never do it again. And I swear to you, I'll protect you and only you, with all my heart and soul."

She smiled then took one of his free hands and slowly placed it upon her chest. Shadow looked at her with wide eyes, speechless. She was goregous; the way the moon lit her face, the way she smiled, just everything.

"Love me…" she whispered to him, "My heart desires only you, Shadow…kiss me…explore me…"

Shadow smirked, " Can do!"

The bat released a loud squeal of delight as Shadow kissed her.

* * *

_ Sapphrie Lake Park… _

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Terrance had returned from the punch table with two full cups of red jiggling juice in hand, and took his spot on the bench. By the way, he never even bothered to look up at his date for the evening...or at least until it was too late.

"I'm back buttercup---Er…Rouge? Rouge? Where are you? Rouge? Hello? ROUGE?"

* * *

To be Continued!

Chapter Fifteen Theme: '_Love_' -Keisha Cole


	16. What you won't do for love

**_UlTTrRa_****_ SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: _**

**LoVe'S**** bUrN **

By: UlTtrrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters...but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

_You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel."_

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__Third POV: __

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_

The next morning came around very quickly, and galliantly as he shielded his eyes from the blazing, white-gold sun. He looked around and noticed that he wasn't in a bed at all, but he found himself in the middle of a flower patch. What was he doing here anyways? He blinked as a memory flashed before his eyes.

_"Touch me, love me, kiss me, explore me..."_

It was a voice, and it sounded as if belonged to Rouge. Then he looked over next to him and there was a pile of folded clothes, those definitely belonged to him. But wasn't he wearing them last night, though? Putting everything together, bits and pieces came, and everything became to clear to him.

A vivid image of a beautiful, giggling white bat manifested its way into his mind's eye. Her delicate features were highlighted silver by the moon's touch, and when he glanced into her bright eyes he saw his reflection; loving everything he saw.

The girl beneath him was already gifted with beauty;no one would contest that. But now, with her lying in the bright emerald strands of grass with locks of her curls interwined with flowers, she was breathtaking. Lying in nature's grounds, she was only clothed in a sliver of bright moonlight.

"_Shadow_," her smile was demure, coy, and yet bold at the same time, "_Why don't you show me how much you love me_?"

The dark hedgehog smiled, just in the very same way he had in his recollection, "I've never performed in _that_ kind of way before," Shadow said slowly a smirk tugging at his lips. "And where's Rouge?"

He rose to his feet and exited out of the hidden forestlands. He couldn't help but smile; after last night, wouldn't you if you were him? Selected by a fair maiden who wanted all of him passionately.

Speaking of fair maidens, where was Rouge? Shadow ambled until he found himself back in the center of the park, where Amy's celebration had been. And if he hadn't had been at the celebration himself, he wouldn't have known there had been a party due to the park's tidiness.

"EEK!"

Shadow awakened from a slight daydream and looked where the shriek had came from. Standing in front of him was a duo of blushing female hedgehogs who were staring very strangely at him.

"Ruby! _He's naked_!"

"_Don't you have any shame mister_?"

"It's not _so_ bad...he does have a six-pack...heehee..."

Feeling extremely embarrassed, Shadow took off running, and that was the fastest he had moved in his life.

* * *

_A Suburban Neighborhood (10:00 AM...)_

_

* * *

_

While Daisy was singing in the shower, Scythe was upstairs in her room, using her polka-dotted telephone. He had called Eggman's cell phone, and was now awaiting an answer. Frowning impatiently, he curled the telephone wires around his index finger. Finally a voice picked up, "...Who is this?"

"Hello Doctor, this is Scythe."

"...Ah, project 0012945, it's good to hear from you again, and I'm glad to see that you've wrecked the bridge, just as your master had asked."

"Yes, I have fulfilled your wishes," Scythe replied. "What's next?"

"Scythe, bring me Shadow, and I want him alive and kicking; if he's seen my news broadcast, then he knows to meet at the Bay Bridge."

The dark hedgehog's lips straightened into a fine line; how could he even think of that worthless idiot now? Shadow decided to voice exactly what he thought.

"_Bring Shadow, huh_?" said Scythe in rising anger. "Doctor, why do we need him? You have me. So I ask you, why do you want the _pauper_ when you have the _prince_?"

Eggman laughed, "Been reading fairytales, have you?"

Suddenly,his entire demeanor changed, startling Scythe, "_How dare you question my demands! This is not a democracy; I am your master and you will obey me. Is that understood project 0012945?_"

Infuriated, Scythe hissed, "Yes..._Master_," but like a child being punished, Scythe's ears dropped.

"Understand your next mission?"

Scythe snarled; he loved how Eggman could be so bipolar; one moment furious, then the next acting as if his anger never happened.

"Yes..." Scythe barely whispered, "But how am I to beat that guy with all his enhanced power?"

"Sometimes you're so pathetic," Eggman hissed, "We didn't make his power permanent...and besides, he ought to be feeling weak from the Bay Bridge incident, remember?"

"Yes, you can count on me," said Scythe blankly.

"Good, then after, and only after, you've defeated Shadow, you may return to the base. See you soon."

_Click_. The line went dead and Scythe slowly hung up. Well, the good thing out of all of this was that he'd get a chance to take out Shadow once again. Good, he needed something to take out his frustrations upon. When his thoughts became clouded, he acted very illogically.

Scythe frowned; that was what made him imperfect. His _flaw_ as humans called it. The doctor had created him to be perfect in almost every aspect; his agility and speed were phenomenal, his mental capabilites were endless.

Eggman had made him fluent in three different languages within a matter of three days. And as for his strength? The dark hedgehog could lift a semi-truck above his head single-handedly.

The dark hedgehog sighed then took a seat on Daisy's bed, contemplating. But before long, the bubbly yellow hedgehog came in wearing a towel and a shower cap, "Oh! Good morning sleepyhead! Boy did you sleep in late!"

Scythe stood up and walked over to Daisy, who looked up at him blinking. He put a hand on her shoulder and looked away from her, thinking, "What's wrong, Scythe?"

"I've never said this before...literally," Scythe started unsurely, almost laughing, "Thank you..."

Daisy smiled, "Umm, you're welcome! Okay, what's with you? Why are you being so kind all of a sudden?"

Scythe turned away from her and went over to an open window.

"I shall be departing..."

"NO! OH PLEASE DON'T GO!" Daisy cried, breaking into tears.

Daisy ran over to Scythe, wailing and stumbling over herself. She wrapped her arms around him sobbing even harder. Scythe turned to look at her a little surprised, "OH PLEASE DON'T GO!"

"Control yourself girl, do not overcome yourself with sadness," Scythe said icyly, unwrapping her arms.

"Okay..." she said slowly, "HUG MEEEEEEEEE!"

She locked Scythe in a bear hug, and helplessly, Scythe patted her on her back.

* * *

_Outside of Sapphire Lake Park (10:30 AM...)_

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Shadow is still skating away at light speed; then the realization hits him, _'Wait a minute, I never wear clothes! Peh, females! What strange creatures!'_

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_At Rouge's Apartment (10:55 AM...)_

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_

Rouge had heard Eggman's announcement concerning Shadow, and she was by far unhappy with it. There was absolutely no way she was going to allow Eggman to get his greasy hands on her Shadow again. They had been through too much for her to loose him again.

"Eggman wants Shadow," Rouge said gritting her teeth, "Well, Eggman's gonna get Shadow!"

Rouge went straight to her closet and pulled out a black tank top, black well-fitting cargo pants, and black, red, and white soaps with a pinch of heels. She thought they looked just like Shadow's...despite the heels.

The huntress went to her bathroom and took a shower, rinsing off the scent of her perfume...and Shadow. Rouge tittered, thinking of their previous night together.

_'Do you like that pretty lady? Do you like it when I touch you like that?'_

Rouge sighed dreamily and blushed; if she didn't stop herself, then she was bound to get a nosebleed. She chuckled once more and made her way to the shower.

_'Bad, bad Rouge_,' she scolded herself, _'No more dreaming of hot, steamy, goregous hedgehogs_!'

In a matter of minutes she was done with the quick shower and she turned the water off. She quickly dried herself off and went into her medicine cabinet and got wrapping tape, and some lotion.

_'And now, to take care of any weaknesses,'_ Rouge thought.

Next, Rouge wrapped her hands with black tape, and her feet as well. Whoever this foe is, she wants to hit him with everything she has. She then looked at the lotion; it was scented like lilacs. Rouge frowned.

_'Why does everything in here have to have a scent? Now I'll have to kick some butt with ashy legs!'_ she thought, throwing the lotion to the floor.

_'And lastly, a woman's weakness,'_ thought Rouge.

She took the black wrapping tape and, slowly but carefully, wrapped her chest. Once she was done, she slowly rose to her feet and looked at herself in the mirror.

The white bat staring back at her looked rather fierce, but calm and composed. She slowly slipped on black under armor, then her spandex shorts, then her tank top and black cargo pants.

Next she grabbed her soaps and put those on as well as her black gloves. For her final touch she burrowed deep into her closet and pull out a black cape. She wrapped it around herself then looked at her reflection one last time.

"Well, here we go," she said to her image.

Then with a flip of her cloak, she was gone.

* * *

_At the temporarily closed Bay Bridge (11:50 AM...)_

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Almost as silent as the Bay Bride itself, Scythe was waiting in the center of the bridge with his eyes closed, although very much conscious. Calmly awaiting Shadow, he used his keen ears to pick up any signs of life besides his own.

His right ear raised and he opened his eyes and uncrossed his arms. He looked up and saw a cloaked figure grinding down the side of the bridge. Scythe smiled, now was his time for payback.

_'Shadow, give me strength.'_

She hopped off of the rail and landed gracefully in front of Scythe; they were about twenty feet apart. Scythe seemed intent upon staring his rival down.

"Well, well, well, isn't it my best friend," Scythe said with a hint of anger, then he arched an eyebrow, "What's wrong? Is Shadow too shy to come out and play?"

_'Oh! He's seen through me! What would Shadow say?'_

"Whatever Scythe-breath..."

Now Scythe arched an even higher eyebrow and Rouge gulped. _'Scythe-breath?__ SCYTHE-BREATH! Oh, was that lame!'_

"I'll enjoy beating the crap out of you!" hissed Rouge in a Shadow-imitation voice. Afterwards she smiled, feeling very pleased at her imitation.

Although she couldn't think like Shadow, she was a pretty good imitator of his voice, thanks to the help of Sonic...

"Whatever wuss," Scythe hissed.

Scythe made a beeline right at Rouge and in half a second, he was within inches of her face. Rouge was startled by his speed and she gasped. He threw a mob of punches at her, and Rouge skillfully blocked them all. But he took her off guard with a clothesline.

"Ahh!" Rouge cried.

Scythe laughed, standing above his foe,"You squeal like a bitch, Shadow!"

Rouge growled then swept his feet from under him with a kick. Scythe quickly recovered with a handstand. And Rouge rose to her feet slowly.

"It seems as if you've slowed down a few steps," said Scythe eyeing Rouge.

"Yeah, and are you getting weaker?" asked Rouge.

Scythe scowled and made another rush at her, blazing punches and kicks. Even as skilled as Rouge was, Scythe's speed was raw, and he was tearing her apart. With a well timed punch, Scythe bowled Rouge over with a blow to the face. Rouge stumbled over backwards and fell on her side.

She looked up and Scythe belted her across the face with dead aim. Rouge more than happily greeted Scythe with a swinging heel to the face and Scythe back flipped away from her. Rouge somersaulted into standing position, then spit out the nasty taste in her mouth. It was blood.

_'Shoot! This guy's hurtin' me pretty good. He may be a jerk, but he's a strong jerk!_ _Time for the element of surprise..._'

Rouge started making her way over to Scythe who had just spit as well, "Come on and get some, Shadow..."

Just as Rouge was near striking distance, she took to air and was flying straight at him, "_The hell_?"

_Crack_. Rouge lit Scythe up with one of her famous roundhouses, and he went flying. However when he landed, he proved the point that flesh and asphalt don't mix well.

Lying flat out on his back, Scythe moaned. He raised one of his arms and saw how he had a nice little strawberry there.The asphalt around him was now painted red. He slowly rose to his feet, looking at the cloaked figure in front of him.

"What was that, Shadow?" asked Scythe panting, blinking back the mixture of sweat and blood.

"A new technique," said Rouge, smiling, "I'll be done with you after I slap you around a bit more."

Scythe smiled, "I'm sorry, but I have strict orders to bring you with me."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah..."

"One more go?" asked Rouge.

"Sure," replied Scythe.

Simultaneously, they both charged at each other then, suddenly, Rouge felt very fatigued.

_'Oh no! Not now! I have him! I can't fall in combat_! _Not here, not now_!'

She stopped in the middle of the charge, and she grabbed her head. She had a sharp, and painful throbbing headache.Now that she thought of it, she had just came from a hospital, and during this fight, she had lost a lot of blood.

...Maybe fighting Scythe wasn't such a hot idea. Rouge took a knee, panting; now she was beginning to feel the awful side effects.Rouge looked up and saw Scythe approaching her, and before she could respond, he cleared her with a kick to the torso.

Rouge was sent flying and she crash-landed into the asphalt, ending up on her back.In a matter of seconds she felt Scythe's shadow and he appeared looming over her with a huge smile.

Barely conscious, he picked Rouge up by her collar and smiled even bigger, "So, it's finally over, I bring the great Shadow to his---_what?_"

"Ack! Leave me alone!" Rouge whined, leaving behind her voice.

Rouge had felt cold air touch her chest and she knew Scythe's attack must've torn right through her top. And she was more than sure that Scythe had seen her torso as well.

The black hedgehog narrowed his eyes in suspicion, and he glared harder at Rouge's cloak, but the white bat was quick to conceal herself with the cloak. Instinctively, Scythe wrestled her to the ground and torn the cloak open. As strong as the male hedgehog was, there was no contest between them. He was very disgruntled when he revealed a tapped torso which meant only one thing...

"Female? What..."

Scythe ripped the entire cloak over her head, leaving Rouge exposed with only her tapped torso. "AAH!"

"ROUGE? Well, isn't this a delightful surprise?" Scythe hissed, eyes glinting darkly.

Rouge mustered up the last of her strength to grab her cloak and wrap it around her body. Scythe was beyond furious, here he had thought he had defeated his rival, but instead it turned out to be some woman in a disguise.

Scythe closed his eyes for a few seconds, trying to control his anger, then he made up his mind. He grabbed her by the arm, and as weak as Rouge was feeling, she certainly didn't have the strength to defend herself. She just watched him wearily, barely conscious.

"Well, I know a person who'd be more than happy to see you're alive and well; let's go home, shall we?" Scythe asked rhetorically.

He took Rouge by the collar of her cloak and began dragging her away. And just as they went out of sight, a little yellow hedgehog rose from her hiding place. Blinking, she watched as the two figures disappeared from sight, "Scythe?"

* * *

To be continued! 

Chapter Sixteen Theme: _'My All'_-Mariah Carey


	17. A final silence?

_**UlTTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

**LoVe'S bUrN **

By: UlTtrrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters...but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

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_POV: Third _

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The once, cerulean sky soon became filled with thick, smoky hued clouds. Rain followed minutes later, dripping softly on the smooth sand below. It was hours before a raging storm would begin and all that seemed tranquil, would soon no longer be.

Present in the base was the infamous Doctor Eggman. He sat behind a shiny ebony desk where his reflection mirrored him. Hands folded thoughtfully upon the desk, he seemed to be contemplating.

"So, you've returned," the Doctor said in a delicate tone, almost a purr, "However, your hands do not hold Shadow…" Scythe stepped forward defensively, "Forgive me Doctor I—"

"_Silence_," Eggman growled.

Ears lowering, Scythe scowled and glared at the floor. It wasn't his words that made the hedgehog feel so indigent but rather his callous tone. Scythe never did fully enjoy when the doctor belittled him in such a manner.

The doctor slowly rose to his full height and signaled Scythe to attend him. He followed without a word, letting his anger slowly subside. An automatic door opened and they walked into a spacious room where a white bat was being contained in an all too familiar cage.

Once they reached the center of the room, Eggman quickly spun around to face the hedgehog with an unruly rage, "_Does this look like Shadow to you_?" Apprehensively, Scythe took a step away from the doctor, "N-no…"

"Have you even seen him since the destruction of the bridge?" Eggman asked. For the first time in his life, sweat rolled down his face from anxiety, "N-no…"

Eggman scoffed and muttered a few inaudible words under his breath. Scythe knew they were curses. The charcoal and stone-colored experiment barely raised his eyes and noticed the Doctor's peculiar actions.

He began to slowly circle around him, as if emulating a hawk, "For too long I have put up with your incompetence. You can't even find one hedgehog! And then you have the _nerve_ to show up here with bat girl! Why I'm surprised you managed to destroy the Bay Bridge."

In the depths of Scythe's body was a rising anger. He clenched his shaking fists and felt his mouth melt into a snarl. Already he had his teeth gritted together but he knew that alone wasn't enough to impede his speech.

"I…I almost drown that day…" Scythe said in a barely audible growl.

"You truly are a pathetic specimen." Eggman hissed, "…Where in the hell did I go wrong the day I created you."

Suddenly, something snapped inside of Scythe; he looked as if he was missing a few pieces to the whole puzzle. He felt himself ice over in a way that he had never before, however when he spoke, he spat inferno, "_YOU KNEW THAT I COULD HAVE DIED THAT DAY! AND YET YOU CONTINUED YOUR STUPID PLAN! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? I ALMOST DROWNED AND YOU WEREN'T THERE!_ _I RECEIVED ALL THESE SCARS AND BRUISES FOR YOU…BUT YOU COULDN'T EVEN COME AND HELP ME OUT! AM I TRULY DISPENSABLE? ANSWER ME YOU FUC-" _

_(Smack) _

Rouge raised her head to the sound and her eyes widened at the sight before her. None of the two villains had moved from their previous spots. Eggman then slowly lowered his hand and Scythe, still with his face looking to his left, spit out a swig of blood.

"How dare you raise your voice at me, you subordinate being," Eggman growled. There was no response from Scythe; he simply kept his eyes upon the ground, looking at the tiny red dab on the floor.

However, the gaze in his eyes was no longer fearful but understanding, as if he had just had an epiphany. "Scythe!" Eggman barked.

"…"

"Scythe!" Eggman barked again.

The hedgehog didn't move an inch.

"ANSWER ME NOW!" Eggman yelled even louder.

Finally, Scythe slowly turned to look up at the Doctor. His sliver eyes shone with an indescribable gleam. Whether his eyes read hate, fury, or possibly disgust, the Doctor was afraid. Scythe followed the side of his face with his index finger and saw that he was bleeding.

"…That," Scythe said still inspecting his finger, "was the last time you shall ever touch me like that again."

He looked up at Eggman with his glinting eyes and then slowly licked his finger. Eggman took a step away from him, fearing his creation, "Y-you're a…_you stay away from me you_ _freak_!"

Scythe now seemed to have found his hands very interesting as they became the center of his attention. Eggman took three steps away from him and quickly whipped out a pistol as Scythe looked at his hands.

"I wouldn't do that Doctor," Scythe said finally looking up, "That just might make me mad…"

A shot rang out and Rouge ducked with a scream. She pressed her body against the steel cage and defensively wrapped her arms around her head.

The cold touch of the steel didn't even come to mind. She glanced back towards the sound of the shot and looked up, seeing only Eggman who was looking around the room furiously.

"Show yourself coward!" Eggman said, almost spinning circles. Almost like a phantom, Rouge saw Scythe mystically appear behind Eggman, eyes sparkling venomously. As Scythe slowly raised his hands, Rouge turned her head away to avoid the view.

She heard a violent blow being struck, and she turned her head just in time to see Eggman plummet and hit the ground. Then she turned to look at the hedgehog who was breathing heavily. She noticed that his left fist was moderately bloody. Swiftly, he fell to one knee, "Damn…"

"Are you okay?" Rouge asked softly.

"Peachy," he quipped. He turned his gaze over towards Rouge and headed her direction.

* * *

_At the Bay Bridge 3:30 PM... _

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Myriads of colorful umbrellas paraded throughout Station Square as the rain soaked the streets. A black hedgehog skated through the streets, gliding gracefully like a figure skater.

He continued his way down the avenues and highways until he reached the bay bridge. Although he didn't like the idea of standing over a raging ocean, he fought against himself internally. Finally, he smoothly slid to a stop and looked around.

'_Yep, it's definitely the Bay Bridge_,' he thought to himself.

He began to wander around and search for clues until he heard a soft sound, it was someone crying. Not being a fan of misery himself, Shadow sought out the noise. He came across a person on the ground, resting on their knees. Gently, he tapped the figure on its back.

The person spun around to face him and fell over. It was a young, yellow hedgehog girl wearing a purple dress. With such a petite and straight physique, he guessed her to be no more than fifteen. The girl stared at him with large brown eyes.

"Are you all right?" Shadow asked stooping to one knee to have a better look at her.

"SCYTHE!" she lunged and knocked Shadow off his feet. Shadow landed on his back with the girl smothering him, "YOU'RE OKAY!"

Uneasily, Shadow pried the girl off of him, '_She's just as bad as the rose hedgehog_,' he thought.

She stared into his eyes and realization hit her and her smile disappeared, "You're not Scythe. HEY! WHO ARE YOU?"

She crawled off of him and rose to her full height, "Well?" Shadow slowly rose to _his_ full height and towered over her; now it was his turn, "I should be asking _you _that."

Her demeanor took a complete revolution and she suddenly became timid. As well as she tried to use coercion against him, it failed. Little did she know that intimidation was his game.

"Well, you were much less scary-looking down on the floor," she admitted.

"You failed to answer me," Shadow said, arms crossed upon his chest.

"I'm Daisy," she said reluctantly, "Who're you?"

"Shadow," he replied indifferently, "And where are your parents?"

"If you're even thinking of taking me back home, then you can forget it!" she shouted angrily, "I'm not leaving until I find Scythe!"

Finally something snagged Shadow's ear, "Scythe? How do you associate with him?" Daisy fell silent but Shadow had plans on prying, "Well? At the very least you could tell me if he was traveling alone."

She bit her lip and continued to look down, now was this was the moment that Shadow's intimidation techniques came in handy. He took a step towards her, "You have until the count of three…_one_…"

The girl gasped and backed away from him, looking terrified. She had to protect Scythe and not say a word to this guy. He could very well be an enemy. Daisy hopped away from Shadow, "P-please mister Shadow, don't do anything I-I would help but—"

"_Two…." _

He took a second step forward.

"…Ummm."

"_**THREE…**_"

A dark façade washed over Shadow and his eyes took a rather ominous gleam, he slowly reached one hand out towards her until…

"OKAY! OKAY! I'LL TALK! JUST DON'T HURT ME!" she cried.

Waiting, Shadow listened, hand still out stretched and eyes gleaming. "H-he was with a lady, a white bat, who was very pretty," Daisy said sighing.

"Did you see where he headed to?"

"Yes," Daisy replied.

"And will you show me the way?"

"Yes," she echoed.

"Good," said Shadow with satisfaction.

"…So….you're not going to do whatever you where about to do…Right?" she asked cautiously.

"...I wouldn't say that…"

He reached out toward the girl who screamed. She felt a slight pinch on her nose and Shadow smirked. She blinked five times then said, "HEY! YOU TRICKED ME! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO SOMETHING EVIL!"

* * *

_At the Sahara Desert Base 3:30 PM... _

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Scythe slowly limped over towards her cage and as he was within distance of reaching the bars, Rouge rushed toward the back of the cage. She was more than ready to lash out and deck the black hedgehog if he wished to try anything with her. However, her rigid expression dissolved once she saw that he was trying to open her cage.

"W-what are you doing?" Rouge asked perplexed.

"Setting you free," Scythe said, "No one deserves to be stuck with that bastard."

Rouge now approached the front of the cage slowly where Scythe was working on the lock. He momentarily glanced up at her and then he did a double take and found himself stuck on her, and it wasn't hard to see why.

It was everything about her. Her alluring crystal blue eyes sparkled delicately; her pristine white fur seemed to brighten up the dark lair, and even her walk was impressive. The white bat sauntered over towards him, unintentionally gyrating her hips and walking with a seductive, smooth motion.

"Need help?" she asked trying to be a benefactor.

"No, everything's under control," he responded, hiding his thoughts very well. Rouge sighed, "Maybe…just maybe…you're not so bad…"

Her back slid against the cool bars. Now she wished she had a more suitable top to cover herself up with. The only shield she had from temperature and immodesty was the thin wrappings of tape that covered her voluminous chest.

Then she turned to face him, "Actually, come to think of it, I don't think you're a bad person, just…misguided," Rouge said wrapping her arms around her knees.

Scythe maintained his silence, continuing to work at the lock, then Rouge continued, "So…um…do you still hate—"

"Shadow?" Scythe said completing her sentence, "I don't know…I was just always—"he paused pensively.

"Don't worry, when I tell him about how you helped me, he'll like you," Rouge said with a smile. For once, Scythe returned her smile, "That does not…sound too bad…"

Rouge smiled at him then took her eyes off of him and almost choked at what she saw. It was almost as if the scene before her had been reverted to slow-motion...

* * *

_She gasped as she fumbled with the words in her mouth. The black hedgehog arched an inquisitive eyebrow in her direction. However, he did not see the sight behind his back. _

_Eggman was on his feet, breathing shaky, quivering breaths. He looked both furious and resolved. He slowly rose his hand and held a glittering, metal object. Rouge's eyes widened in fear, now giving her his full attention, Scythe turned to look at her, curiously. _

_He smiled slightly, "Quit worrying, you'll be outta this cage in a sec..." _

"_SCYTHE! LOOK OUT_!" _Rouge screamed. _

_He blinked at Rouge and before he could turn around, a shot was fired and he gasped. He touched the area of his stomach where his ribcage rested. His fingers were covered in blood. _

_"No!" Rouge whined, her eyes becoming glassy. _

_Amazingly, Scythe found the strength in his body to turn around, and with a smile, flip him off. The smile was triumphant in its own sense; that infuriated the doctor. _

_Eggman frowned and squeezed out two more shots. Now the dark hedgehog was brought to his knees, grimacing and Rouge dropped beside him, her eyes becoming watery. _

_She held him, feeling him tremble. She was more than sure that his fuel would burn out soon. She could even see it in his silver eyes that were becoming opaque and distant. _

* * *

"Ugh…heh... so I'm...finished," he said with a small smile, " This whole dying thing isn't...so bad..."

"Please hang in there," Rouge cooed softly, "You can beat this! This is nothing..."

He smiled dryly, "…Nothing my ass...Just...I don't know, take care of yourself or something..."

"I will," she said softly, stroking his quills.

As the dark spots grew in his vision, he grimaced; that big, long eternal nap was just around the corner, "Damn...I guess I won't see that...yellow hedgehog anymore...The only person that didn't hate me..."

Slowly, he closed his eyes, preparing to take the long journey into the other world. Rouge shook him as if to wake the black hedgehog from a snooze. Once she saw that it wasn't working, her face began to contort, trying to hold back the tears but they came out, spilling.

"Good bye, Scythe," she replied, aqua puddles dripping from her eyes, "I…I don't hate you..."

She wrapped the hedgehog in a hug, sobbing softly.

* * *

_-To be continued!_

Chapter Seventeen Theme, "_In the End_,"-Linkin Park- (Scythe's Theme!)


	18. The Sahara's Wanderer

_**UlTTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

**LoVe'S bUrN **

By: UlTtrrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters...but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

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_Third Person POV: _

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_The Sahara Dessert... _

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Traveling through the long, golden Sahara was Shadow, who was being trailed by a small yellow hedgehog. It was only minutes ago that they had materialized in the Sahara Desert's transporter and began traveling, but with the fierce heat wave, it seemed as if they had been wandering for hours.

The journey on the whole had been peaceful; the only noise heard was the soft trudging of steps in the scorching sand, and Daisy's light panting.

Throughout the crossing of the Sahara, the young yellow hedgehog had been sweating profusely; constantly bringing her forearm to wipe away the trickling sweat from her brow. Moments later, with careless footing, she tripped over a hidden stone and almost comically face planted into the sand.

"Oof!"

Shadow slowly turned around to face her. The yellow hedgehog popped out of the sand and released a cry of frustration, "That's it! I'm tired of this stupid, stupid desert!"

She furiously wiped sand away from her sweat-caked face and began to throw a tantrum, flailing her arms and screaming, "_Who in their right mind hides a base out here anyways? It's got to be a thousand degrees out here_!"

"Oh? And you're complaining?" Shadow asked crossing his arms, "When I'm the one who's clad in black fur?"

Daisy blinked, thinking of his last words. Now that he had mentioned it, he did have it worse between the two of them. With a closer examination, she noticed that sweat was pouring down his face, and steam was rolling off of him, fading into the atmosphere. He was literally smoking!

Apologetically, Daisy's ears lowered, "I-I'm sorry, but it's just so dang hot!"

Shadow crossed his arms and smirked contently; yes, he was not only the ultimate life form, but the ultimate pacifier as well. Shadow took a few steps towards her, but before he could speak, a loud humming sound interrupted his dialogue. Both hedgehogs looked up into the sky to see one of Eggman's devices hovering above them.

"…Eggman…" Shadow whispered to himself.

"Huh? What is that thingamabob?" Daisy asked.

"It's one of Eggmans' devices," Shadow replied.

"Umm, is it bad?" she asked, brown eyes turning to look up at him.

As if to answer her question, the machine swiftly swooped downward and began raining red lasers. At the first sign of trouble, Daisy screamed and dove face-first into the sand, meanwhile Shadow performed a couple of back flips.

The yellow hedgehog's performance could have been considered hilarious if the situation had not been so severe. With his newfound space, Shadow took the role as the diversion and began to trek around the dessert terrain at unruly speeds.

While searching for an answer, Shadow himself almost lost his balance when he stumbled over a stone. He felt his anger rise, but then an idea appeared. He picked up the stone, and inspected it.

Weighing the stone in his hands, he found it adequate and with a snap of the wrist, hurled the rock at the machine. Hitting a sweet spot, the machine crash landed into the sand, inches away from Daisy's face.

"Wha…that was a close one," Daisy said blinking in stupor. Seconds later the duo looked into the sky to see a fleet of five similar aircrafts flying their direction as well.

"Aah! Shadow!" Daisy cried pleadingly. Crimson eyes began to scan over the desert, furiously; he looked from the airborne machines over to the smoking aircraft beside himself, then down towards Daisy.

He skated over towards the fallen aircraft, which was now smoking. "Get down!" He shouted over his shoulder to Daisy. He heard a quick squeal and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Daisy flop onto the sand. Shadow released a yell, and with his new found strength, Shadow picked up the aircraft, and began to spin it around in a circle.

When he received enough momentum, he launched the aircraft and it took to the sky like a frisbee and collided with the other machines. A fiery explosion conflagrated in the air and clumps of metal rained from the sky.

Daisy had peeked over at Shadow just in time to see the explosion ignite in front of him; the scene almost resembled a movie poster. With the metal landing all around her, she deftly covered her head yet again until she heard, "Yellow hedgehog, it's clear."

Petite hands uncovered her face and a single brown eye detected Shadow, standing valiantly in the post-battle air; the ultimate life form looked like some kind of action hero.

As the wind ruffled his quills he stood with a stern, daring glare and one hand on his hip. Somebody was a poster boy. Slowly, she rose out of the sand and walked over to Shadow in awe. Shadow crossed his arms and arched a curious eyebrow at her.

Daisy scoffed, "I _swear_, what _is_ it with you macho hedgehog guys? First it's _Scythe_, and now it's _you_!"

* * *

_Inside The Sahara Dessert Base... _

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Blurry-eyed, Rouge ran her fingers through Scythe's fur. She softly stroked the fur around the frame of his face, meanwhile trying to wipe away her persistent tears. Eggman lowered his weapon and finally dropped it.

Eggman felt the back of his head, muttering curses. To some satisfaction, she noticed that not only were the doctors glasses chipped and broken, but he had lost a good amount of blood, due in part to Scythe.

Eggman slowly limped over towards the room's intercom and summoned a couple of his robots, "Alpha twelve and Alpha thirteen, get in here and take care of our causality, I don't care what you do with him…throw him into the dumpster for all I care!"

Moments later a few robots entered the room and without second thoughts, they took Scythe away from Rouge's. With her hand still outstretched, she watched as Scythe slowly disappeared from view.

Something about watching him being carried off wretched Rouge's heart and involuntarily, she began to cry even harder. Once Rouge and Eggman were the only people in the room, Eggman turned to face her, "Now, with all distractions aside, my plan is finally unveiling itself, batgirl."

"Wh-why do you need me, I don't what to help you," Rouge said, wiping her face clean of tears, then icy cerulean eyes ignited, "_I'll never help you_."

"Well, voluntarily or not, you're going to help me retrieve Shadow. It'll be just like the fairytales, batgirl. The brave hero's going to try save his fair maiden…but ultimately end up plummeting into my trap," Eggman said.

Then he laughed deeply, "Come to think of it, this will all be successful due to you, batgirl. If your boyfriend hadn't had been so _whipped_…then this plan would never work."

Then Eggman continued, carefully analyzing Rouge, " And maybe I should also be thanking him as well… I did lose that deadweight hedgehog any how."

But instead of getting furious, Rouge burst out laughing, Eggman took a step towards her, "And just what do you find such humor in batgirl? Or is it realization that you've lost."

Rouge smiled, "You really are a fool. You think your plans will work? I have yet to recall one of your schemes working…even against Sonic. If _that_ idiot can outsmart you, then you really are dumb. He has to have an IQ of ten!"

Eggman scowled, "If I was you, I'd watch my words," then he smirked, "Are you speaking of escape? Don't make me laugh! It'll never happen! You're unarmed, and I'm the one holding the gun. And don't forget that you're in the middle of the Sahara Dessert. So looks to me like there will be no jail breaks today."

"True, but Scythe somehow managed to put you out, armed or whatnot," Rouge replied.

"And now he's dead, your point?"

Rouge rose slowly, thinking over her words. She watched as Eggman turned his back to her and began to ticker with his computers.

She noticed that he was monitoring the cameras. One camera, however, was focused on a black hedgehog carrying a yellow one. Eggman rose out of his seat, "No, it can't be…this is too good to be true!"

Eggman picked up a speaker, "Alpha 00101, come pick up our precious batgirl and take her to the guest room."

Rouge quickly glimpsed at the palm of her left hand, '_Universal key_?' she thought to herself, '_Just my luck_!'

She held a small silver key, the one that Scythe had used. With his last motion, he had slipped Rouge the key. Remembering this, she closed the key in her hand and smiled.

She quickly hid the key once she saw a robot unlock the door and lead her to a new room. She turned and took a look back at the monitor. She saw Shadow! It was Shadow! Rouge smiled, blushing at the thought. She quietly thought her personal thoughts and followed the robot with a small smile.

* * *

_The Sahara Dessert... _

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* * *

_

Shadow sped through the desert carrying Daisy in the firemen's carry style, who was having the time of her life traveling at the speed of sound.

"This is awesome!" she cried, "Why didn't we do this before? I'm actually _not_ burning up! I feel the wind on my face!...And why can't you just carry me in your arms?"

"The reason we didn't do this before is because now I know we're close to the base's perimeter," Shadow answered.

"Look!" Daisy pointed, "There it is!"

In sight was Eggman's ostentatious base which was resurrected from a previous pyramid with his own hands. Due to its new technological guise, it looked rather foreign in its settings.

"It's amazing!" Daisy gasped, "If his base looks like this, then I wonder what he looks like…"

Shadow frowned.

"Well, do you know how he looks like?" Daisy asked smiling, " Can you say three words to describe him?"

"…Fat, bald, and repugnant," Shadow answered nonchalantly.

Daisy laughed, "That can't be true! You're just—"

Daisy was cut off mid-sentence as she was knocked out of Shadow's hands. The black hedgehog skidded to a stop, "What?" He heard the sound of Daisy hitting the ground and he turned to find her, "Yellow hedgehog?"

Once he sited her, Shadow noticed that her eyes were closed and he started running towards her, and he called even louder, "Yellow hedgehog!" Slowly, Daisy came to and sat up, still seeing stars, Shadow approached her, "Huh? What happened?"

This time, being prepared, Shadow heard it, '_zoooom'_ he started skating towards Daisy at faster speeds, "_Look out_!"

Daisy stood up, obliviously smiling and waving at him; Shadow came towards her and pushed her out of the way, leaving himself completely vulnerable. Daisy fell a good distance backwards, releasing a yelp of surprise and landed flat on her back, legs splayed.

Moments later Shadow was struck by the hidden force and landed poorly on his chest. He looked at his elbows and knees, which he used to shield himself, and saw a leaking red substance. Shadow slowly rose to his knees, looked up and saw a pair of multicolored sneakers.

He looked up further and saw the _un_familiar red echidna; the _revved_ up Knuckles, with the fierce red eyes and a malevolent scowl. Shadow grimaced, "I should have known it was you…"

Knuckles voluntarily failed to answer the hedgehog and dug his claws into the sand beside Shadow's head, "There's no escape for you hedgehog, and by the time I'm done with you, Rouge won't be able to recognize your face."

For a moment Shadow and Knuckles exchanged intense glares, but then Shadow saw, out of the corner of his eyes, a yellow hedgehog slowly standing up. Shadow turned to face her with a guise of complete horror. His intuition sparked and he knew she was going to do something irrational.

"Shadow!" Daisy yelled.

She began cautiously to trek her way over towards the two. Shadow sensed something bad was going to occur. He could feel it. He tried to free himself from Knuckles' grip, but ultimately found his struggle useless.

'_Whatever steroids Eggman pumped into this guy worked_,' Shadow thought. The hedgehog quickly waved a warning signal with his free hand at Daisy.

" No! Stop!" Shadow cried.

Misreading his signal, Daisy started running over towards Shadow, screaming, "Shadow! I'm coming!"

Knuckles snapped his head around to get a good look at the fool who dare interfere with his business. A small, yellow hedgehog fell into his radar. A dark smile crossed his face and he slowly pointed his arm out towards her and said, "_Thunder Arrow_!"

The deep growl stopped her in her tracks, but before the echidna could get a secure lock on his target, Shadow smacked his chin and raised his aim.

The thunder arrow struck the side of Daisy's head and she fell without a sound. She hit the ground unconscious from shock. Knuckles rubbed his jaw and looked at Shadow indignantly, "You just hit me."

Knuckles lifted Shadow by his neck, gave him a blow to the ribs for good measure and booted him across the desert. Shadow landed on his knees finding himself rather irate.

"That…" Shadow said slowly, rising from the sand, "is the last time you'll never do that, echidna," Shadow spit the taste of sand from his mouth and glared, "And now, we've got a fight."

With a war cry, Knuckles began his charge and although silent, Shadow came menacingly as well.

* * *

_Inside The Sahara Dessert Base... _

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* * *

_

Rouge sat in her secured room tapping her foot as she contemplated, '_So Shadow's coming for me…_' Then a smile crossed her face, '_But does he not know that I can take care of myself? I am a trained agent after all_.'

Then she closed her eyes, thinking, '_Allrighty then, it's time to focus, time to_ _think like the top federal agent that I am…now how would I get out of this room?_'

"_Life form Rouge the bat, your evening nourishment is present_."

A smirk appeared on her lips and she decided to initiate her new plan, "Oh, then come on in." A small, clunking robot, which happened to be wearing a laced apron, entered the room pushing a cart with Rouge's dinner on a trey.

Rouge frowned a little, almost regretting the fact that she was going to destroy such a domestic robot. "_Here's your_ _evening nourishment, Life Form Rouge the bat_."

"Uh, thanks," Rouge said taking the trey, "Oh and by the way, how do you feel about the Eggman Empire?"

"_Long live the Eggman Empire! May the sun always shine_—"

Rouge sighed and moved her arm from the short circuiting machine, "Well, _that_ made things a whole lot easier."

* * *

The click of a key was heard and the lock that once held the guestroom door closed hit the floor. The door carefully opened and Rouge's head peered out of the doorway. She scanned the long hall ahead of her and saw that it was clear of any danger. Just as she was about to leave, a guard appeared around the corner.

Rouge slightly closed the door and waited. Her keen ears picked up the sounds of the machine's motor as it drew closer. Just as soon as Rouge was sure that the machine was right in front of her door, she slammed the door against the machine as hard as she could.

The guard was launched several feet and as it looked up, in its view came an ivory bat standing with one hand on her hip and the other against the wall.

"Hi," Rouge said beaming.

The guard raised its gun and fired; Rouge's smiled broadened as she pulled out a scrap of metal. _'Thanks housemaid robot!' _

The laser shot hit the metal scrap and deflected, hitting the guard robot. The robot exploded on the spot and Rouge shielded her eyes. Once the light was gone, Rouge uncovered her eyes, blinking.

Just before she headed down the path that the newly destroyed guard had came from, a laser shot was fired and hit the wall directly above her ears.

Rouge turned to see a second guard robot charging straight for her. She used her extra piece of scrap metal and heaved it at the guard. The metal cut through the guard, and it too exploded.

Rouge fluffed her hair then walked to the end of the hall, took a left and entered the elevator. Once the elevator started descending, a fleet of guards went flying towards the elevator. While traveling down the elevator, Rouge heard violent banging on the floors above her.

"Oh great," she moaned while gazing upward.

The elevator gave a violent jerk as it stopped and the lights, even the music turned off. Rouge gasped; now she was forced to use her nocturnal vision.

She looked at the entrance of the elevator where all the violent hammering was originating from. The door was broken in and a swarm of guards entered the elevator…only to find that it was empty. The guards searched the elevator a moment longer and then scurried off to investigate other floors.

"Hmph, creeps."

Rouge sat cross-legged at the top of the elevator, watching the guards leave. Once they all left, she smiled coyly then glided to the bottom of the floor.

She landed at a level below the elevator and she opened a panel which led to underground aqueducts. It was definitely a good thing that Rouge had decided to join up with Eggman…that way she got to study all of Eggman's different lair maps.

She hopped down a manhole and scampered off into the waist-deep water. Just as Rouge ran passed a dark corner of the aqueduct, two glowing red eyes appeared and followed Rouge. Just as she disappeared out of sight, it began its pursuit.

* * *

To be continued...

Chapter Eighteen Theme: '_SOS_'-Rihanna


	19. The most unexpected ally

**_UlTTrRa_****_ SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: _**

**LoVe'S**** bUrN **

By: UlTtrrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters...but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

"_You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel."_

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_Third Person POV:

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The Sahara Dessert...

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In the blink of an eye, Shadow and Knuckles were at each other's throats. Once they collided, all hell broke loose. Countless punches, kicks, and curses were thrown at each other.

Whatever either Knuckles or Shadow could think of using against their opponent, they did. Once upon a time, Daisy thought of trying to assist Shadow, but with the vicious scrap going on, her efforts ended up being more harmful than helpful, and now the yellow hedgehog lie on the sand peacefully, with her eyes closed.

Whatever scorn, jealousy, and grudges these two had held against each other, it all came out now. They both exchanged blows, until Knuckles released a war cry and tackled Shadow down a hill. They both tumbled down the sand dune punching and kicking each other until their landing broke them apart.

Shadow laid on his side, gritting his teeth. Eggman's device had certainly made the echidna a much more serious adversary. He was strong before, but now his punches were like surges of lighting. Shadow quickly staggered to his feet and searched the perimeter. With a balled fist, he swiftly scanned the desert hoping to find his furious predator.

No sign of the echidna.

Shadow silently mouthed a curse but continued his search. Out of the corner of his eye, Shadow caught the echidna tearing his way through the dessert at speeds nearly rivaling his own. Shadow turned to face him, waiting.

With another furious roar, Knuckles prompted the fight by flooding Shadow with lightning-fast punches and kicks. The dark hedgehog fended his entire offensive with quick, but adroit blocks. Knuckles landed his first successful strike with a blow to the gut. Shadow countered by connecting a right hook with Knuckles' jaw.

Knuckles stumbled backwards a bit, but he continued his hurricane of punches, "I see you've gotten better, Shadow."

"Naturally," Shadow replied, thwarting his attempts of landing a punch.

Now Shadow took the opportunity to attack Knuckles. The red echidna laughed, "I said you've gotten better but now, with this new power even the 'ultimate life form' is obsolete."

It seemed like Knuckles' confidence suddenly gained a new boost and he countered Shadow's assault with one clean roundhouse to the face. Shadow slide backwards down a sand dune and then sat up, glaring. He looked up to see Knuckles ambling towards him with an arrogant air.

"Chaos spear!" Shadow summoned.

Knuckles scoffed and swatted Shadow's attack away as if it were an insect, "Child's play."

Knuckles came within an arm's length distance of Shadow to dodge a punch from the hedgehog, then grab his forearm. Knuckles grip tightened on Shadow's upper limb and he began to twist his arm.

Shadow fought hard against the urge to scream out in pain; he gritted his teeth and grimaced. Closely, Knuckles watched Shadow's facial expressions with a small smirk, "With this newfound strength, you're no longer in my league..."

Shadow scoffed, "Newfound strength, don't make me laugh."

Knuckles wretched Shadow's arm harder, to his disliking though, the only response he received from the hedgehog was a short grunt, "You're _still_ an arrogant little bastard! If you scream, I'll drop my grip, how about that?"

No deal; Shadow didn't make one sound, Knuckles laughed, but he continued, "And now look at you….Heh, and to think once upon a time we might have been equals, and now I'm the better man…"

The edges of Shadow's lips twitched, slowly forming a weak smile, "That's not how Rouge sees it."

Knuckles'smile faded. Shadow looked into his eyes and saw a raging storm…this was not looking every good for the dark hedgehog. For a moment they stared at each other without exchanging words.

The echidna's eyes flashed and, Shadow heard a snap and felt a rush of pain pulse through his arm. Following this up, Knuckles jarred him in the torso with a ruthless kick. Shadow laid on his back, grimacing, he looked up when Knuckles stepped forward and pointed a trembling finger at him, "_You…can bet this isn't over yet, Shadow_!"

The echidna snarled and he disappeared as fast as he had arrived on the scene. A stream of profanities flowed freely from Shadow's mouth, he felt someone touch his shoulder and he saw that it was Daisy. He noticed the nice-sized strawberry on the temple of her head.

"Are you okay, Shadow?" she asked, "I think he broke your arm."

Daisy slowly helped Shadow to his feet and she wrapped his arm around her slender shoulder, giving him support. They slowly hobbled off towards Eggman's pyramid.

"Be…my witness…" Shadow gasped, grimacing.

Daisy looked over at the taller hedgehog, "Um…why?"

"Because…" Shadow gasped deeply, fighting against the pain, "I swear…next time I see him…I'm gonna…beat some _serious_ echidna ass…"

"Well,look, we're almost there!" Daisy sang optimistically changing the topic, "All we have to do is climb the steps...Oh!"

Both Shadow and Daisy looked up to see one of Eggman's guard robots standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid. Daisy gasped as Shadow quickly slid in front of her.

They both watched the robot expectantly…until it fell down the stairs. They both sidestepped the robot and noticed that it made no movements. To get a better look at the machine, Shadow took a knee and Daisy bent forward, resting her hands on her knees.

"Look, it's short-circuiting," Daisy said pointing to the android.

"…That's peculiar," Shadow said, holding his arm, "So what's—"

Another android came tumbling down the stairs; both of the hedgehogs moved aside and looked upwards. Standing at the entrance was a tall cloaked figure. It motioned for both of them to follow. Astonished, Shadow and Daisy exchanged glances.

"Should we?" Daisy asked, looking up at Shadow.

"Well…we were aided, weren't we?" Shadow asked.

"It could be a trap!" Daisy said softly.

"Yes…I thought of that," Shadow said, "But…keep your composer yellow hedgehog, remember that we'll be _following_ him."

"Or her," Daisy piped.

"Hmph."

"I'll take that as an 'okay', "Daisy said with a smile.

Using Daisy as a crutch, Shadow carefully started ascending up the stairs.

* * *

_Inside the Sahara Dessert Base...

* * *

_

Rouge quietly treaded through the knee-deep water in the aqueduct pipes. She occasionally found herself looking over her shoulders, checking for unwanted company. As much as Rouge hated being alone in the dark, she found herself grateful for her nocturnal vision.

Rouge slowed her pace as she came to a lit area of the aqueducts. In front of her was an intersection. She sighed then rubbed her temple, trying to remember which path of the fork to choose.

"Well," Rouge sighed, leaning to her right, "I guess it's just up to pure intuition now."

Quickly, Rouge whipped around to look backwards, her ears twitched, picking up an approaching sound.

'_What's that whizzing_?' she thought looking around.

The hallway she was facing was being lit by a spiraling ball of inferno rushing towards her. She released a startled cry and bent backwards, avoiding the blow.

A new hole was opening in the upper regions of the aqueduct pipe. If it had been any lower, Rouge would have been swept away by a rushing current.

Rouge now looked the direction the flaming globe had came from and she saw a pair of red glowing eyes. Finally, her stalker revealed himself in the light…it was Metal Sonic.

* * *

_Inside the Sahara Dessert Base...

* * *

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Shadow and Daisy quietly followed the hooded stranger through the corridors of the base. Both Shadow and Daisy looked around the base, inspecting all of Eggman's encapsulated creations.

"Whoa, this place is amazing," Daisy gasped, "Why there's…So much intellect…so much brilliance—"

"So much…free time," Shadow said finished blandly.

Daisy glowered, "You may have a broken arm, but you're _still_ cocky!"

"Really?...I prefer confident," Shadow replied.

The stranger led the two hedgehogs through a long corridor were a door lied ahead of them. Once enclosing a distance near the door…it suddenly closed. All three of them stopped.

"Is this an expected pit stop?" Daisy asked.

The cloaked figure approached the door and tried to break the steel down, but after futility was apparent, the stranger banged his hand on the door in anger.

"…Guess not," Shadow replied.

Daisy's ears twitched and she turned to look over her shoulder, "Hey, did you hear that rattling noise?"

About five of the encapsulated robots awoke, rattling and breaking their glass capsules. They made their away over to the newcomers in Eggman's base. Their demeanor was clearly hostile.

"Aah!" Daisy shrieked, she hid behind Shadow, "N-now what?"

The three travelers found themselves slowly backing away from the creations, and Shadow soon found himself back to back with the hooded stranger. Shadow looked over his shoulder to the stranger, "So what now?"

Although the hooded stranger didn't respond, Shadow knew that the person was looking at him, listening. On Shadow's other shoulder was Daisy, who turned to look at him, blinking.

"My…arm's busted…but I still say we fight…what do you think of that?" Shadow asked over is shoulder to the stranger.

Although the hood hid most of the stranger's facial features, Shadow saw a wicked, toothy smirk on the stranger's face. That was the signal, and in a matter of seconds both the hooded stranger and Shadow were battling the robots.

Daisy watched in awe as the duo cleared the robots with a synchronized grace. Daisy smiled as she thought, '_If someone watched Shadow fight, they would have never known that he had broken his arm in a previous fight_.'

The little hedgehog's thoughts were broken when she felt herself being picked up. She gasped, and began struggling in the android's steel arms. She looked up towards Shadow and the hooded stranger who were too occupied with fighting the machines to notice her being held captive.

Daisy's captor began to leave; the yellow hedgehog tried to find her voice but discovered that, do impart to the robot's vice grip around her neck, her words came out as whispers, " _Sh__…ad…ow…elp…me_!"

She tried kicking and wiggling, but she soon established that all her efforts were worthless. Tears began to dribble from her eyes, and in a final attempt, she loudly shrieked, "_Help me_!"

The hooded stranger heard her pleas and quickly pursued both the yellow hedgehog and her captor. After defeating his last robot, Shadow turned to see the cloaked figure running after Daisy.

Shadow quickly detected one android that was headed straight towards his cloaked ally, "Look out!"

The machine knocked the cloaked stranger over, causing him to loose his hood. The male quickly vanquished his attacker and turned to the robot carrying off Daisy. The stranger took a step forward and shouted, "_Raging lance_!"

A blare of grayish lighting stuck the robot, causing it to drop Daisy. Before the machine could try to recover the girl hedgehog it released, the stranger crushed the machine with a single blow.

The cloaked male pulled the girl hedgehog away from the android's explosion. Once the bright light died away, they all uncovered their eyes. Daisy quickly unshielded her eyes and looked up at the tall stranger. With one glance at his face, her eyes widened and her face turned a bright crimson.

"Are you all right?" he asked, smirking.

The yellow hedgehog gave no response, but she quickly covered her newly scarlet cheeks with her hands and ran behind Shadow. Shadow looked at Daisy then almost gawked when he recognized the stranger's identity.

"_Scythe_?" Shadow barked, alarmed.

Shadow quickly turned to look at Daisy who was now acting rather peculiar, "Are you okay yellow hedgehog? Did he do anything to you?"

"N-no…" Daisy replied failing to make eye contact with either male, "I'm fine…"

Shadow snapped around to look at Scythe, gaining a defensive position, "If you want a fight, this is a bad time...but I'll…"

Shadow began to sway, and then he collapsed in Daisy's arms. Scythe was beside him in a matter of seconds. He reached out to examine Shadow's arm, but when the red-streaked hedgehog resisted, Scythe showed his first signs of anger, "_Would you hold still_?"

Skeptically Shadow allowed Scythe to look at his arm, the taller hedgehog nodded then rose to his feet, "Follow me, I know how to take care of that."

Shadow and Daisy exchanged glances then slowly began to follow Scythe. In silence they followed him into a small room with large computer. Scythe turned to face Shadow and motioned him to sit on a provided stool. Hesitantly, Shadow abided. Daisy however, remained standing behind Shadow, and gazed up at Scythe with coy eyes.

"…Now you're annoying me," Shadow said, Scythe laughed, "What are you trying to pull? If you're thinking of injecting me with the Chimera virus—"

"Are you always this wound up?" Scythe asked, with a familiar evil grin.

"You failed to answer me," Shadow replied, "What are you trying to pull? You wouldn't help me if your life depended on it."

"Rouge's does," Scythe replied.

Shadow looked up at him. For once he was willing to listen to what Scythe had to say, "….I have to rescue batgirl."

Shadow glowered, he had always known Scythe had a thing for Rouge…_'Maybe I should kill him_ …' Shadow thought, '_It's still not too late_…'

Scythe smiled, seemingly reading Shadow's mind, "Chill out…I owe her a favor, hedgehog."

Shadow still didn't seem pleased by this answer.

"…And…I want revenge against Egg-ass-man," Scythe finished.

"…That sounds better," Shadow said nodded his head.

Feeling a little more pleased, Shadow believed he didn't have to neutralize Scythe. Daisy took a step towards Scythe; she put her finger on his chest. Shadow looked at Scythe who had a smug smile, "…This has to wait, girl—"

Daisy's face turned red, then she looked up at him, frustrated from his comment, "I was going to say 'what happened here'?"

The spot on Scythe's chest Daisy pointed to had a scar etched in his skin. Although a good majority of the scar was covered by the cloak he was wearing, it was still fairly visible.

Also, now that the yellow hedgehog was close enough to his face, she saw that he also had a scar above his left eye. Scythe slowly removed her hand, and stared deeply into her eyes, "That's why exactly why I'm going back for Eggman."

"Well, I'm sure you're going to fill us in on what happened," Shadow coughed, hoping to interrupt their moment.

Scythe dropped her hand and laughed bitterly, "That bastard shot me," his eyes narrowed, having a reminiscent gleam of the old Scythe, "Three times I think, I don't remember. Then he had two of his idiotic robots 'dispose' of me. Lucky for me they're as smart as rocks...so they took me into this room… the _medical_ room."

Daisy laughed as Shadow scoffed; Scythe frowned, thinking of the robot's illogcial actions as well,"Dumbasses…" Then he shook his head, clearing previous thoughts, "Anyways, let me show you why this poor excuse of a room is called, 'the medical room'..."

He turned to look at Shadow and pointed at a capsule. Shadow walked beside Scythe and looked at the capsule, thinking. Scythe looked over at him and smirked, "Don't cry, Shadow, it fills with water."

Shadow had a mental sweatdrop, but played it off, "…What of it?"

"You never cease to surprise me…" Scythe said laughing.

Shadow entered the capsule and closed his eyes, seeming impatient, "Let's get this over with."

Scythe pressed a few buttons and the machine filled with pink water.

"Ooh! Pretty!" Daisy commented.

Scythe looked at Daisy and smirking, he scoffed. To Shadow's surprise he could breathe in the water. He looked at Scythe and Daisy through a pink field but before long he felt himself getting light-headed and he peacefully fell asleep.

Once Daisy saw that Shadow was asleep, she slowly turned around and faced Scythe, his silver eyes fell upon her and the dark hedgehog greeted her with one of his trademark evil smirks.

He slowly started approaching her with a slow stroll. Daisy walked backwards trembling, "Um…Scythe…what are you doing?"

"You know what I'm gonna do."

She screamed and fell over. Daisy scooted backwards until her back was against the wall, her face was beet red, "Scythe? Stop! Aah!"

As Scythe took a knee, Daisy cringed, turning her face away from him, she felt a soft tug from her dress and looked up at the hedgehog who was smirking at her, he held up a string that had been dangling from her dress.

Daisy blinked, " You mean… you weren't going to…"

Scythe's smirk grew, "Hmph, don't you wish."

He walked off leaving an even redder Daisy.

* * *

To be continued! 

Chapter Nineteen Theme: _'Breaking The Habit'_-Linkin Park


	20. Entwined Destines

**_UlTTrRa_** **_SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: _**

**LoVe'S** **bUrN **

By: UlTtrrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters...but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

-If the editing's bad…then…excuse it! I did this in a hurry…but enjoy as always!

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

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_Third Person POV: _

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A light dew of perspiration formed on the pale, cream-colored bat's temple. She lightly bit her lip as thoughts ran avidly in her head. This event unfolding before her was something she had been unprepared for.

Ordinarily, any foe that solidified before her was dealt with both quickly and easily. However, since the new threat was Metal Sonic; the creature with the flaming scarlet eyes, her next action would need to be shrewd.

She had already decided that returning into Eggman's clutches would not be an ideal conclusion. Fire light washed hues of oranges and deep ambers over Rouge as she took a careful step forward, "Metal Sonic, I—"

A shrill mechanic whine broke out as a missile was launched from a basin within Metal Sonic's hand. A large fiery conflagration followed, propelling Rouge several feet in the air.

She landed on her belly and rolled onto her back to see fiery clouds of smoke clearing away. There, walking in the midst of the swirling smoke was Metal Sonic, red eyes searing even brighter.

"_Preliminary objectives, retrieve life form Rouge the bat with vital signs_," Metal Sonic instated.

Rouge rose out of opaque dark water, she smiled slightly, "Fine, that makes my job a whole lot easier, you can't hurt me."

Rouge swore the android narrowed his eyes in dissatisfaction, "_Secondary objectives, retrieve life form Rouge the bat with minimum vital signs intact_."

"…Aw shoot."

* * *

_... Angel Island- (The Master Emerald Shrine...)_

* * *

On Angel Island, the word was predominantly adorned in shades of green, lavender, and blue. And the land was garlanded with thick, sky-scraping trees and soft clumps of shrubs. Lucid streams and rivers bathed the brown ground sprinkled with dawn-colored wild carnations.

The island was undeniably beautiful; at sunrise the island seemed aglow and at night the rich tropical backdrop was lit by the moon. Every feature was outlined with a glittering sliver streak.

Currently on the island it was midday and the sun was high, trekking on its usual fiery path through the sky. There, under the sun's bright eye was Tikal, whisking the edges of her fingers through a swallow pool of water that mirrored the color of her own eyes. She sat on the very bottom of the stairs that led to the large, iridescent jewel.

Aqua eyes stared blankly at the swallow puddles of water before her; sometimes the tips of her fingers found small bright colored fish swimming by, but other than that, there was nothing to peak her interest. She closed her eyes and sighed, ever since Knuckles had left to seek out Rouge, Tikal's normal beguiling happiness had detached.

"Now what am I to do? I'm all alone again…But why? Why did he choose--?"

Something flickered behind turquoise liquid eyes; on second thought, ever since Knuckles had first laid eyes on the bat, Tikal's contentment had been fading quickly.

Their once diverse and rather interesting conversations were transformed into monotonous banter about Rouge _this_ or Rouge _that_. The only subject they talked about that had nothing to do with the bat was in regards of the Emeralds' well-being.

When she educated Knuckles about the jewel's history he listened to her with eyes aglow. That was the only time she truly felt that he was hers. She closed her eyes, reminiscing.

* * *

_It was raining terribly and the morning sky was dull and gray. Tearing through the terrain at high speeds was a bright red echidna. He trekked through the island masterfully. _

_He gazed over his shoulder and tossed his pursuer a smile, "Come on Tikal! I thought you hated rain!" _

_Tikal_ _dashed after him, chasing after the distant trekker, "True, but you move much fast than I!" _

_Then she smiled, "Until now." _

_As Knuckles appeared at the Emerald's shrine it seemed that he was going to win again, but a streaking, shimmering pink blur zoomed past him and Tikal appeared, smiling demurely on the bottom steps. Knuckles frowned as he slowly halted to a stop, "Oh come on! That does not even count!" _

"_You said to race," Tikal said with a smile small, "However, you did not specify the means on how to race." _

"_Damn, had again." _

"_As the guardian of the Master Emerald you must be ready for all things," Tikal said slowly trying to draw out her point, "You must be prepared for the unexpected." _

_Knuckles raised his gaze to look at her, "So are you ready for the unexpected?" _

_Tikal_ _arched an eyebrow; this was one of his questions he always roused every once and awhile where the answer he would expect would be something obvious. Tikal had no plans to fall into one of his traps today, "Always." _

"_Okay, let's test that then." _

_Knuckles smiled as he stepped forward and scooped the tan echidna into his arms. Tikal gasped as she found herself being lugged over his shoulders like luggage, "Wha-What are you doing! Knuckles stop!" _

"_Understood." _

_He lowered Tikal in front of him so she stood facing him. Instead of listening to her request, he took both of her hands into his and began spinning her around until her feet where off of the ground. Now the ancient monarch stared at him with wide eyes. _

"_AHHH!" _

_Knuckles smirked, "What's wrong? I thought you were ready for the unexpected?" _

"_I-If you do not put me down right this instant, I shall have you recite the ancient strolls so many times that you'll—" _

_Knuckles released his hold on the ancient princess and they both plummeted to the ground. Tikal landed and crashed on top of the guardian. _

_Knuckles burst out laughing, then Tikal smiled and joined him. Knuckles rose to his feet all the while helping Tikal to her feet. Both of them slowly escalated to the top of the Shrine and stood before the gem. Knuckles stared at the gem proudly, admiring its beauty and strength. _

_For centuries his kin had gazed upon the jewel and now it was his turn. His thoughts were scattered as Tikal spun to face him. Aqua eyes shone in concern, "Why do you trust her?" _

_Knuckles almost lost his balance, "What?" _

"_The bat, why do you trust her?_ _I do not, I fear that she is up to no good. She has a dark aura." _

_Knuckles blinked. For sometime he had known that Tikal was an enchanted being with mystical abilities. One of them being the capability of being able to see peoples' auras. Every living soul emitted their presence through an aura. Each aura color revealed a person's true nature. _

_Pink auras revealed an affectionate character, this aura she saw hovered above Amy, Cream and Tails. Rich, cool blue auras belonged to those who were thoughtful, calm and contemplative, she found this aura around Knuckles. _

_Bright red auras encapsulated those who were either extremely passionate or those who were very angry. Clearly a red aura suited the azure hedgehog very well. White, pale auras drifted over the fearful or the worried. _

_Gray auras signified people who were suspicious and black auras covered people who had evil intentions. This dark aura usually found Eggman. _

"_She had a dark aura?" Knuckles asked puzzled. _

"_Yes," Tikal said, "I do not trust her, even if she had helped save the Earth from Ark." _

_When Tikal had first laid eyes on the huntress, true, her aura had been a stone-gray color, but after helping with ark, the huntress's aura had flushed into a blushing rose. _

"_But she's changed over, I trust her, she's a different person now. I think if you meet her again, you'd like her too." Knuckles said gazing off into the gray horizon. _

_He then turned to look at Tikal with a now warm smile, "And…I think I'm in love with her."_ _He smiled and gazed off at the horizon while Tikal stared at him. Her eyes widened as she saw his cool, azure aura fade evenly into a glowing carnation. _

* * *

Tikal teleported in a pink flash and appeared before the Emerald, gazing at it longingly. She patted the jewel as she stared at her handsome reflection. The Gem glowed dimly to her touch; she smiled, knowing that the only two people who could activate the gem's powers were Knuckles and herself.

'_At least we still have that connection_,' she thought sadly.

Cool chills racked through Tikal's body and she gasped, turning away from the emerald. Something was wrong, she sensed it. She turned to look upon the emerald once more and its glow became faint.

Tikal snapped around, facing the horizon in an attempt to find the intruder; if the opposing force did not dispel anytime soon, then the emerald as a defense mechanism would seal off all of its power.

The princess looked skyward to see a large black aura billowing into the clear sapphire sky. The dark color stuck out in the clear sky easily and sounded a mental alarm for the ancient princess.

Courage welled in her as she called in an uncharacteristically loud voice, "SHOW YOURSELF FIEND!"

Appearing, as if answering her call was Eggman in one of his hovering devices. The beige echidna gasped in shock, taking a step away from him, "Dr. Eggman?"

"Correct, and now I offer you two choices: surrender the Master Emerald or face severe consequences."

* * *

_In The Sahara Dessert Base: (The aqueduct pipes...) _

_

* * *

_

Rouge found herself running through the aqueducts being pursued by the relentless Metal Sonic. The further Rouge sloshed in the aqueducts, the worse the pipe's lighting became.

Eventually, even the flickering lights overhead became too faint and the huntress had to rely on her nocturnal vision. She rounded a sharp corner and came to a junction. Now the tunnel was filled with complete darkness.

Rouge looked to her rear and realized that she didn't hear or see her stalker. That could mean either two things: she lost him or he found her and was planning his moves scrupulously.

The bat turned to the fork before her which sliced into three paths. She decided to go left, for no particular reason, and as she was heading leftward, she spotted an overhead tunnel. A small sultry smile appeared on her face, "I choose you."

She flew up into another pipe began running. As she made her way further into the pipe , she realized that electricity worked in these portions of the aqueducts. Just as she rounded one more corner, she skid to a halt in front of Metal Sonic. She gasped and fell back on her rear paralyzed by the sight of him.

Calmly, the hovering blue android stared at her with an arm cannon locked onto her. Rouge stared at him in great disbelief, "H-how did you know where I'd--?"

"_Probability percentages: twenty-four percent probability of choosing leftward option, nineteen percent rightward option, nine percent central option, lastly, aerial choice, forty-seven percent_."

A glowing, fiery light began to blaze at the end of Metal Sonic's gun. Sapphire irises constricted to specks as realization hit the pale bat, " No—"

"_Survival Probability: 71 percent_."

A powerful beam was unleashed and the aqueduct was washed in a bright pale light. Once the light faded into nothingness, Metal Sonic scanned his surroundings.

The upper pipe he was currently in had been busted and now could be used as a balcony to over look the lowest level in the pipes. He ignored the trickles of leaking water and dropped to the lowest floor where he picked up Rouge in his visuals. The ivory-hued bat laid twenty paces in front of him, resting on her stomach.

Metal Sonic's sensors detected blood upon his target and decided to take scan over her.

_Subject: Rouge the bat _

_Gender: Female _

_Damage: (Moderate) forty-two percent _

_Vitality status: Declining _

Metal Sonic snapped into clear consciousness as he saw Rouge beginning to move. If androids could feel emotions, he would have been dismayed at the fact that she was still trying to elude him.

Rouge slowly rose to her feet, trembling and shivering from the cold of the aqueduct water. She saw Metal Sonic hovering a few feet away from her and she began to take off once again, only this time she took to the air with strong wings.

Metal Sonic jetted after her, catching her with little effort, he plowed into the flying bat, clipping one of her wings. She gave out a cry as she splash landed into the water. She turned to gaze at her bleeding wing, which was bent in an unnatural fashion.

'_Broken,_' she thought as sorrow and anger replenished her at the same time. This time she limped off into the darkest burrow she could find, however this time Rouge cursed herself as she saw that she had indeed ran into a dead end.

"I don't believe this," she muttered to herself.

She limped into one of the corners, taking cover behind one of the dumpsters. Metal Sonic landed at the beginning of the tunnel and began carefully running more analysis tests.

_Damage: (High) sixty-eight percent _

_Vitality status: Poor _

"_Secondary objectives, retrieve life form Rouge the bat with minimum vital signs intact_," Metal Sonic stated.

"…"

"_Acknowledged, no more damage can be inflicted upon target. Switching antagonistic output levels from ninety percent to forty percent_."

Rocket jets were turned off and the burning red irises within the dark abyss faded. Metal Sonic started a slow stride towards the dumpsters, destroying each one in his path.

Crouching, Rouge gritted her teeth, with each passing second she could hear Metal Sonic enclosing her position. It was only a matter of time before she would have to face off with him again.

The pains and aches in her body disagreed with even the slightness movements she made. Rouge gasped as a pair of red and white sneaks appeared in front of her. She slowly traced the figure with her eyes until she met a pair of eyes.

_Green eyes_.

"Hey Rougey, it looks like you could use some help."

* * *

_...The Sahara Desert Base: (The Medical Room...) _

_

* * *

_

The medical room had been surprisingly quiet; the only sounds that were audible in the room were mechanical blips and bleeps. Shadow was still resting inside of a recovery capsule.

Scythe had resided in a chair in the corner of the room, propping his legs against a small desk meanwhile the small golden hedgehog sat on a small bed with her legs dangling on the over the sides of the bed.

As Daisy swung her legs, Scythe stared at the ceiling, a deep frown revealing his contemplative state. He finally turned to look at the young hedgehog who slowly returned his gaze, her face flushed, "WHAT?"

"Who the hell was that guy?" Scythe asked.

Daisy's face brightened, for once she was more knowledgeable in an area than Scythe was, "That was Sonic the Hedgehog!" Scythe frowned recalling their brief, and yet odd encounter that had just occurred moments ago.

* * *

_Daisy had been bored out of her mind; she sat with her head resting in the depths of her palms. She blew a loose strand of hair out of her face. How was the young hedgehog going to pass her time with a laconic, boring hedgehog?_

_Then an idea hit her, she marched over towards Scythe, smiling, " Hey Scythe, wanna play a game?"_ _Scythe looked up at her casually, "If I need to be involved in it…then no." _

"_Oh come on!" _

"_No." _

"_Please?" _

"_No." _

"_Puh-leeeeeeeeease?" _

"_As they say in France, 'no'." _

"_If you play this game with me, and win, I'll shut up." _

"…_What are the rules of engagement?" _

"_Huh?" _

_Scythe rolled his eyes, "How do you play the game?" _

"_Okay, we'll play an easy game: rock (Makes the rock with her fist), paper ( Spreads her hands apart), scissors (Does a snipping motion with two fingers). Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper and paper beats rock, got it?" _

"_Yes," Scythe said, "Although I don't see how it is possible for stone to be defeated by paper." _

"…_See, there you go overcomplicating things again. So get ready to play, best three out of five." _

" _Understood," Scythe said shaking his head. _

"_Ready, here, put your hands out like this…good, now on the count of three…rock(one) paper(two) scissors(three)…Ooh! Lookie! I win!" _

" _Again," Scythe said with an impatient edge to his voice. _

" _Rock, Paper, Scissors!" _

_Daisy makes paper as Scythe does rock. _

"_I win again, two for me, none for you. One more and I win," she said with a smile. _

_Scythe frowned; defeat or taking it very well was not his forte; he was as competitive as they come. _

"_Rock--!" _

"_Stop!"_ _Scythe cried, "I have to get ready first." _

_He pulled up his chair closer to Daisy and positioned himself; he glared up at her with an intense, focused gaze, " I'm ready." _

"_Okay then, Rock, Paper, Scissors!" _

"_**HA**!" _

_Scythe threw down scissors, a sinister smile played on his face as he saw Daisy had paper. He rose out of his chair and laughed and pointed at Daisy, "You have been defeated! I kicked your ass! That's what you get for using paper in my house!" _

_However, Daisy kept a simple smile, "Okay, however I did say best three out of five, you still have two more games to win."_ _Scythe scowled at her and sat down, "…Then stop stalling and let's play!" _

_This time they both chanted, "Rock, Paper, Scissors!"_ _Scythe chose rock, however Daisy chose paper. A sweet smile played on the butter-furred hedgehog's face as she looked at him, "I win, using paper." _

"_What?_ _That's foolish…this entire game is foolish!" Scythe crossed his arms and stared at the ground angrily. _ _Daisy's eyes twinkled as a smile played on her lips, "Now I get MY prize." _

_She strolled over to him and turned his face to hers, his eyes widened slightly as he saw the yellow hedgehog's face drawing closer to his. With eyes closed, she drew closer to him with a small, sweet smile. _

_Out of thin air, a blue hedgehog fractured the moment, "Hey, Tails won't believe it---Whoooa!" _ _Both hedgehogs jumped away from each other as Sonic watched with a smug grin, "Oh, don't EVEN try to act like that didn't even just happen!" _

"_Who the hell are you?" Scythe barked glaring at the blue hedgehog. _

"_Easy there big guy, I'm here to help him," Sonic said hiking a thumb in Shadow's direction._ _Surprise replaced embarrassment as Daisy gaped at Sonic, "Sonic! Sonic THE Hedgehog?" _

_Sonic gave one of his award-wining smiles, "One and the same, princess." _

"_So Sonic, how did you get appear out of nowhere like that?" Daisy asked._ _Sonic whipped out seven sparkling jewels, "With the help of a couple of friends."_ _Silver eyes widened, "The seven chaos emeralds?—So one can use them in teleportation…" _

_Sonic waved a single finger, "Not only that, but now, thanks to the help of my best lil' bud, one can specifically lock on to a certain individual's location. I got here by locking onto Shadow's location." _

_The two other hedgehogs followed Sonic to Shadow's tank. Scythe watched him wearily, "So how does all this concern you? Blue-boy?" _

_Sonic extended a hand, no traces of resent or sarcasm in his voice anywhere, "Hey, my name's Sonic, what's yours champ?" _

_Scythe glared at him, but presented him no answer, "How…does this…concern you?" _

"_I hafta help Shad out, we strife for the same causes," Sonic turned to Daisy, "Now what's your name, shortcake?" _

"_My name's Daisy and his is Scythe, we'd be more than happy to help you!' Daisy chirped. _

"_Good," Sonic said with a head nod_, "_Then here's what I need both of you to do: Eggman's up to some big-ass scheme again, but the thing is, we don't know what he's up to, so I came here to investigate and spring Shadow, Rouge, and Knuckles. I see Shad's fine here, so I'm gonna go find Rouge, no matter what happens, you guys have to make sure Eggman does NOT get Shadow in his captivity, okay? I'll come back for you guys in thirty minutes…and if I'm not back in thirty minutes, then you guys hightail it outta here, comprende?" _

"_Right," Scythe said with a nod. _

"_Be careful Sonic, okay?" Daisy said. _

"_Well, hopefully I'll see you again," Sonic said with a confident smile, "Hasta luego!" _

_In a green wisp of light, he was gone._ _Daisy turned to Scythe, "I hope he's back soon…" _

* * *

Daisy turned to look at Scythe, "Has it been thirty minutes yet?" Scythe gazed at a clock on the wall, " No, not quite yet."

"…Would we really leave him? If thirty minutes were to pass?"

" Yes," Scythe replied, " He has the chaos emeralds, if worst comes to worse, that'll save his ass."

"I hope so," Daisy said softly. Their thoughts were interrupted as loud bangings were heard from the front door. Clearly, someone was trying to barge in.

"…And that, is not a good thing," Scythe said, he looked over his shoulder to Daisy, "Wake him up, we're taking our family vacation a little early this year…"

* * *

To be continued!

Chapter Twenty Theme: '_Spoiled_'-Joss Stone


	21. A happy reunion

**_UlTTrRa_** **_SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: _**

**LoVe'S** **bUrN **

By: UlTtrrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters...but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

-A fan of the story brought up an interesting idea to me a couple of days ago, " Hi UltrrasShaddow! You're story is good and well written! And your characters are cool too! I like Daisy.

-If Daisy and Scythe had theme songs like the other Sonic characters, what would their songs be? Daisy's theme song would _One_ _thing_ by Amerie and Scythe's theme would be _In the End_ by Linkin Park.

-And Love's Burn theme is _The Sweetest Goodbye_ by Maroon 5. Yup, that's the newsflash for today kiddies! Keep up the reviews! I enjoy reading feedback!

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel."_

_

* * *

_

_Third Person POV:

* * *

_

Sliver eyes seared as Scythe jetted towards the door. From the sounds of the loud poundings, clearly, someone on the other side of the door was not pleased by their company.

"Scythe!" Daisy cried, "Wh-what are you doing?"

With a hellish roar, Scythe gave the door a strong shoulder thrust, toppling over some of the electronic guards on the other side of the door like dominos. He quickly turned around, putting his back against the door.

The poundings and thrashings against the door resumed with Scythe being the barricade. Narrowed sliver eyes glared into cocoa browns, as the gentleness drained from his voice, "Wake him up now!"

Daisy quickly scampered over towards the capsule holding Shadow. She hurriedly scanned over the pulsing machinery, within seconds she found herself lost in all its functions as lights blinked and glowed, turbines turned and engines purred.

An uneasy sensation churned inside Daisy's stomach, how would she know which button to press? She wiped imaginary perspiration from her forehead and began to tinkle with the keys on the machinery.

'_I hope this works_,' Daisy sighed to herself.

She looked up from the button panels to the translucent capsule holding Shadow. With her every dabble on the control panels, the capsule would respond in different ways such as changing the water's color, and even having the addition of stronger or softer bubbles in the water.

Daisy's brow furrowed as she continued pressing buttons and pulling levers, "Woooooork…Now! Now! Now!..._please_ work?"

Scythe's attention set upon the struggling yellow hedgehog. The scene before him would have finished off a victim of high blood pressure.

…She _still_ hadn't opened the capsule…

Gray irises constricted to the size of dots. …She hadn't opened the stupid contraption yet ?

He didn't know whether to die from laughter or repeatedly beat her senseless with a chair to the skull. All he could guarantee in his next response, however, was that there would be a lot of shouting and anger…

"What the hell are you doing?" Scythe barked, pinpoint irises giving their owner's eyes a feral gleam, "Why have you not opened the damn thing!?"

Daisy blinked in response; if possible she believed Scythe would have started to foam at the mouth. The rest of his loud howling went ignored, only when he stopped talking did she say, "Because, I don't know how to open the thing!"

Scythe muttered under his breath, the only words audible to the yellow hedgehog were 'stupid yellow pixie powder-puff' and 'razors and knives.' When a metallic fist broke through the titanium door, Scythe scowled then turned to face Daisy with an indigestible expression, "Think of _something_!"

Daisy scrambled across the room and retrieved a chair from one of the chrome tables. She quickly returned to the control panels and threatened to bash the panels in as she hoisted the chair above her head. Scythe glared at her, "Think of something _smart,_ you idiot!"

Daisy sniffled, blinking back tears as she turned to cut Scythe with a death glare of her own, "You don't have to yell at me, you jerk!"

"Then here's what you do, don't act like a bimbo, blondie."

Daisy shook with anger as her grip on the chair increased, "Oh yeah? Well eat this!"

Releasing an icy, eerie shriek that would have shamed a banshee, Daisy threw the chair in Scythe's direction, but the chair would have hit the midnight-colored hedgehog if the capsule wasn't in its path. The airborne chair busted through the capsule as one would crunch through the candy shell of a tootsie pop.

Glass shattered and the newly chartreuse-hued water poured on the ground. Scythe and Daisy stared at each other disbelieving until the male hedgehog spoke, "…That'll work!"

Both the hedgehogs turned their heads towards the direction of the capsule as they heard a loud thump. They both turned just in the nick of time to witness an unconscious Shadow flop to the ground un-ceremonially. Both hedgehogs released roars of laughter as Shadow scowled and slipped around the room trying to find his footing.

So far, all he knew was this: He had been awoken abruptly and painfully, and for only being conscious for less than a minute, his mood was already foul.

"Have a nice nap? Or a better fall? " Scythe said with a venomous smile.

Before Shadow could tell Scythe _exactly_ where he could go, the dented, crushed poor-excuse of a door was broken in. With reflexes as quick as a cat, Scythe slid across the damp floor to idle beside Shadow. Daisy took a couple of reflex steps backwards as the android guards seeped into the room. Her toffee-eyed gaze fell upon the two ebony hedgehogs, "Um fellas?"

"Good, it's been awhile since I gave a good ass-kickin' session," Shadow said with ruby eyes aglow.

Shadow cracked his knuckles, rolled his stiff neck and gingerly popped his back then sprang into action. Scythe arched an eyebrow as the dark hedgehog jetted into action. Every strike Shadow made was accurate and swift, his dodges were timed and his finishes were lethal. Scythe didn't follow his dark counterpart, but merely watched him with an expression blended with amusement and confusion.

"Scythe, what are you doing?" Daisy asked glaring at his strange behavior.

"…What in the hell is wrong with his joints? I thought that stupid juice box was _supposed_ to make him feel better!"

* * *

_In the Aqueducts...

* * *

_

Eminent danger approached with a haughty air as Metal Sonic strolled through a dank alley, gingerly knocking aside any trashcans or dumpsters he saw.

Why should he rush to capture his prey? His target had conveniently cornered herself in a dead end. It was only a matter of time before he found and captured her.

Sonic glanced over his shoulder as he saw numerous trashcans and dumpsters becoming airborne. This scene could only make the blue hedgehog grimace.

'_Freakin_' _Metal-ass is enjoying this! This crap is a game to that moron…I hope he didn't hurt Rouge too badly…_'

Lime eyes softened as the azure hero took a knee and stooped next to Rouge to take a closer look, "Hey, are you okay? Don't worry, I'm here for you."

Rouge cuddled her head into the hedgehog's tan belly. Unexpectedly, tears dribbled from her eyes as she clenched him into a tight hug. Finally, she wasn't alone again. Rouge gazed into deep, kind twin emeralds. The small smile on his face blossomed; something about him did remind her of Shadow. Maybe it was his gentle mannerism, or the bold unresolved confidence.

Rouge wiped away her tears and began giggling almost childishly. Sonic frowned slightly, '_Oh crap…she's lost her marbles_…'

Rouge smiled, still giggling "Sonic, you're so much like Shadow, it's crazy!"

The blue hedgehog's frown deepened even more; now he was sure she had went off the deep end. What he really wanted to ask Rouge was, "You've gone off the deep end! How long has he been smackin' ya around?" But what he did ask was, "How do you get that?"

Rouge smiled, "More than you know: your kindness, your confidence, and even your stupid smirk."

Sonic blinked, "…Are you falling for me, Rougey? You're hot, but you're just not my flavor--"

"…But he is much more mature than you are…and smarter…That's a major difference between you two," Rouge finished, intentionally sounding deflated.

"Hey! I come all the way here to save you and then you--"

Rouge pressed a finger against the blue hedgehog's lips, "Sonic, we're running out of time, so I must ask you, how did you get here?"

"Ta-da!" Sonic presented the seven chaos emeralds before Rouge, "I used the chaos emeralds, but thanks to an upgrade Tails gave me, I can lock on to a specific individual's location. In this case I locked onto your location."

Rouge's eyes widened, "That's amazing!"

"I know," Sonic gave Rouge a slow, side-long look, "You know Shadow is here, right?"

Rouge almost choked, "He's what?"

"You heard me, that's why I hafta to take you back, pronto, before Metal-what's-his-face, gets back here."

A loud, nearby crash motivated Rouge to speak much faster, "And what? You're going to take me back to Shadow?"

"That's the plan."

"You can't! Metal Sonic might alert Eggman and the others that I've escaped!" Rouge cried holding a desperate note in her voice.

Sonic's face dropped, his 'perfect plan' had been ruined. The worst part was that it was a plan originally thought up by the blue hero, with no references from his intelligent little fox friend. Tails was _always_ the one to come up with the plans, and his ideas always seemed to work.

But now, the one time the azure hero comes up with a plan, and a mighty good plan without the help of Tails, it seemed that Sonic's only _good_ plan he thought of would fail…again.

A dark grimace spread upon his face; the azure hero was devastatingly hurt that his plan would bomb, "_Damn! Damn! Damn_! Screw Eggman! And all his freakin' robots! One day, I am going to stomp his ass good! Well, what now? _That_ was my only plan!"

Rouge sighed; go figure, why should she be surprised that Sonic _would_ rush head-first into a situation like this with only a plan A? She bit her lip in contemplation, running thoughts through her mind in hopes of formulating a plot.

Her eyes drifted upon the chaos emeralds, "Sonic? You said you can lock onto people's locations, correct?"

"Yeah…and?"

"And nothing! You can be the distraction! You're going to warp away in a bright array of light, distracting Metal Sonic. You're going to warp and find Shadow and bring him here, if I don't finish Metal Sonic off in time. Did you get all that?"

"Yeah," the blue hedgehog said casually, "But when I'm gone, what are _you _going to be doing?"

Once delicate blue eyes iced over, "I'm going to take that bastard down! You see this?"

Rouge pointed to a gash on her face, "This will NOT go unpunished!"

Sonic rolled his eyes, before he could retort, the dumpster they sought refuge behind was elevated into the air. Both Sonic and Rouge turned to glance at Metal Sonic who gazed at both them. Single-handedly the android held the dumpster above his head as if it weighted little.

Scowling, Sonic turned to Rouge, "Oh, by the way…_This_ is the guy you plan to take on."

The android lobbed the dumpster in Sonic's direction as if he was playing softball. Both the azure hedgehog and the white bat more than happily scrambled out of the flying dumpster's path.

"Sonic, now would be a good time as any to execute our plan!" Rouge called, refusing to take her eyes off of the metallic menace.

Sonic nodded his head, "Be careful Rougey, I'll be back in no time flat! All right then, it's time to put on a lightshow!"

As the seven chaos emeralds began to glow, Sonic closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the emeralds' light, "Chaos control, locate Shadow!"

The dark alley was illuminated in a vivid wash of pale, jade light. The metallic hedgehog shielded his optics from the sheer intensity of the light. Rouge chose this moment to fly into the android with a savage kick. The indigo-colored android flew backwards, landing in knee-deep water.

Releasing a war cry reminiscent of an Amazon, Rouge charged the metallic hedgehog. Metal Sonic felt himself begin to short circuit as water began filling his systems. Although sparks were beginning to fly and his vision was beginning to haze, he managed to face Rouge and crouched on his knees, locking his arm cannons upon his approaching target.

Flaming red eyes darkened a hue as Metal Sonic set his sights upon his target. He launched fiery missiles which soared towards the white bat. Before the missiles exploded, Rouge's eyes flickered momentarily.

Metal Sonic waited silently as the rolling smoke began to clear. Once the field cleared he saw a large hole were water began to pour in. There was no sign of the bat, but his sensors were picking up her vital signs.

He twisted his head left and right to locate the white bat, but he couldn't. He halted his search when he saw something dangling inches above his head. It was a shoe. The metal hedgehog elevated his gaze skyward to see Rouge hanging from a slender, steel bar. Icy blue eyes glared into blazing reds.

For a moment neither person moved, they simply glared at each other. However, the moment of silence was broken when Metal Sonic raised his arm cannon, powering up another shot.

Another rocket was launched just as Rouge swung herself from the bar and propelled at Metal Sonic. The missiles conflagrated behind her, alighting her fur with shades of crimson and ginger.

Using gravity as her power boost, Rouge crunched her leg into Metal Sonic's skull, sending him crashing down into the water. Rouge landed ungracefully as well, as she fell rear-first in the water with a shriek, "Ah!"

Sparks flew from the malfunctioning android. As more and more water seeped into its systems, complete system failure became more prominent. Metal Sonic's once clear visuals became hazy and filled with static. Seconds before his system fully failed he told Rouge, "…_M-m.iss…io.n …fa..il…ure_."

Burning red embers disappeared into a dark abyss and the cobalt hedgehog collapsed into the water. A bright green wisp of light blared, signifying the usage of chaos control.

"Where is she, hedgehog?"

"Hey, wouldn't a 'Thank you Sonic,' be a little nice, Shadow?"

"Your sensitive feelings are not important at this moment, where's Rouge?"

"Look! There she is!"

The scene that unfolded before the four hedgehogs was reminiscent of a male fantasy. Rouge rose out of the water, completely drenched from head to toe. As droplets of water were showered, Rouge threw her head back flipping curls out of her face, all the while giving her bosom a healthy bounce.

Smiling, Sonic gave a whistle, "Good golly, Miss Molly!"

Daisy blinked, "I wish I looked like _that_ every time I got out of water!"

Wisely, Scythe chose to remain silent. With an arch smirk, Sonic slowly turned his gaze to Shadow. Judging from the awed expression on the black hedgehog's face, Sonic could tell that Shadow had fallen in love with her all over again. Smiling, Sonic nudged Shadow in the arm, "Go to her, man!"

Slowly, Rouge's soft blue eyes turned to fall upon the ebony and crimson hedgehog who returned her gaze. She hungrily scanned his physique, enjoying the sight of his strong anatomy. Unconsciously she licked her lips.

There she stood, some twenty yards away, gazing at him with that soft, heavenly blue-eyed gaze. Some how the aqueducts had made her even lovelier; her newly wet hair had begun to curl from the waters' touch and strands of hair partially hid away one of her beautiful twin sapphires.

And not mention her recently soaked body. Shadow struggled very hard to keep his eyes above hyoid-level. Although occasionally he couldn't help but let curious eyes wander…

"Shadow!" Rouge cried.

She tore through dark water towards the ebony hedgehog who was approaching her as well. They met with a sanguine reunion of hugs and kisses.

"Aww! Lovers united at last!" Daisy cooed, she turned and looked up at Sonic, "Aren't they just perfect for each other?"

Sonic blinked, they were total opposites; one was black-furred, the other white. One had searing red eyes while the other had cool, icy blue eyes. But they both had that fiery passion in everything they did, they both loved the thrill of the hunt and lastly, they both shared that undying confidence in themselves.

Sonic smiled, opposites they may be, but they were perfect for each other, "Yeah, I think they are."

Then the cobalt hero frowned, they had still been going at it for what seemed like ages!

"Dang! I better stop this! 'Cause if I don't do something then their little meeting might turned R-rated!" Sonic said rushing over towards the couple.

Shadow broke a passionate kiss as he held Rouge's face within his palms, "What were you thinking Rouge? Running off to answer Eggman's challenge and then trying to impersonate me?"

"I'm sorry Shadow, you've just been through so much….I wanted to protect you," Rouge said staring into questioning garnet eyes.

Rouge hugged Shadow once more until she looked up at the two other hedgehogs watching her. The first she identified was a small, adorable yellow hedgehog girl, clad in a violet dress.

The next one was a tall dark male hedgehog with eerie, silver piercing eyes that seemed almost alien and stood out quite well on such a dark face. Somehow he seemed very familiar to her. If he didn't have that awful scar over one of his eyes, then she might have mistaken him for…

Rouge's eyes widened, "Sc-scythe?"

His familiar, demonic toothy grin appeared. Rouge momentarily discarded Shadow and sprinted to the other dark hedgehog. Daisy sidestepped Rouge as she dove into Scythe, almost knocking the tall hedgehog off of his feet.

Shadow blinked, trying to register what just happened, but more importantly wondering why Rouge wasn't in _his _hands. Sonic looked from Scythe to Shadow, "Where I come from, that's what we called 'getting dismissed.'"

"Scythe how? I thought you were dead?" Rouge asked, blinking away tears.

"I couldn't die just yet, I'm one headstrong bastard," Scythe replied, smirking.

Scythe gazed over Rouge's head to see a not-so-happy Shadow gazing back at him. Scythe smirked; since when was he the type to back down from anyone? He tightened his hug around Rouge and began tickling her while he elevated the bat into the air, causing her to giggle and kick her legs wildly.

Shadow was beside Scythe in a minute, glaring daggers at the hedgehog, just before Shadow could put his hands upon the hedgehog, Scythe lowered Rouge to the ground.

"Okay, okay," Sonic said stepping in the middle of the two hedgehogs, "As much as I _like_ water, I think it's time to get the heck outta here! Tails, Amy and Cream are waiting for us. It's chaos control time, people!"

"Then do it," Shadow said curtly, holding Rouge by the waist, _away_ from Scythe. Smiling Scythe looked down at the little yellow hedgehog, who's face was a shade of carnation, " …What?"

"Don't 'what' me you jerk! You had your hands all over her! Look at her since you _obliviously_ like her so much!" Daisy crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head away from him.

Smiling, Sonic warped out of the base, "Chaos control! Locate Tails!"

And in a flare of green light, they were all gone.

* * *

-To be continued! 

Chapter Twenty One Theme:'_When_ _I saw you'-_Mariah Carey


	22. The Last of the Light

**_UlTTrRa_** **_SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: _**

**LoVe'S** **bUrN **

By: UlTtrrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters...but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!...Enjoy the brand spankin' new chapter!

_You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel."_

_

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_Third Person POV:

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_

"Twenty Ooooone!"

Tails and Cream simultaneously moaned as Amy slammed down a deck of cards and began laughing gleefully. To pass the time at Tails' workshop, the trio, after watching an entire series of movies had decided to play card games. It was either that or watch another one of Amy's sappy-love story flicks.

"Bah, I give up, this is the twentieth time she's won at this game, I'm gonna go outside and get some fresh air," Tails said, discarding his playing hand.

"I give up Miss Rose, you're too good," Cream admitted politely.

"Well, wanna try your luck at Charades?" Amy asked, arching a competitive eye brow.

"Would I?"

The young preteen fox slowly stepped out onto his'front yard' which was an airplane runway that had a marvelous overview of the ocean. A light wind ruffled his fur as he gazed at the sea with arms akimbo; nowadays, it seemed as if everything had returned to normal;

Amy had taken some therapy classes where she had learned to fix her speech impediments, and now her speech was even crisper and sharper than before. Yep, it looked like everything was back to normal…

The golden fox frowned slightly; everything seemed to have been returning to normal…until Doctor Eggman had tried to take the world by force yet again. Tails sighed, he missed Sonic terribly, but whenever Eggman was cooking up a scheme, Sonic was always there with his foot in the door.

For once the older blue hedgehog refused to let Tails accompany him. Sonic claimed to have wanted to try out his new upgrades of the chaos emeralds, but ultimately, Tails knew that it was one of those, 'it's too dangerous for you to go,' things.

But if his best bud wanted him to stay at 'headquarters' and monitor the situation, then Tails would do his best and fulfill his duties. That was just how loyal the little guy was.

The young fox snapped out of daydreaming once he heard the door behind him creak open. Both Amy and Cream popped out of the door with piles of items in their hands.

"Hi Tails!" Cream chirped, waving at him, and unfolding a red and white plaid blanket.

She caught the blanket in the wind's soft current and spread it upon the blue-green grass. As the young rabbit plopped herself upon the blanket, Amy spilled various junk food items and games onto the blanket.

The pink hedgehog turned to gaze at him and smiled, "We thought it'd be a good idea to have a picnic. Wouldn't you think Sonic would like it too when he returned?"

Smiling, Tails cocked his head slightly, "I definitely think Sonic would like it! As long as he has food, he's happy."

"Maybe he would like some Peach Cobbler!" Cream suggested.

"I like Peach Cobbler!" Tails chirped, suddenly becoming animated.

Both Tails and Cream stared at Amy, who blinked, then laughed, "Okay, okay, I get it! I'll make Peach Cobbler! Tails, would you be a dear and collect some fresh peaches from a tree?"

Tails and Cream exchanged excited glances as they licked their lips in anticipation of devouring the tasty treat, " Yum!"

"Wanna help me gather the peaches, Cream?"

"Okay, I'll go get the woven basket!"

Tails took to the air as Cream disappeared inside of the workshop. Once the beige rabbit returned with a basket that was a fourth of her height, Tails situated himself before a peach tree.

"Ready?" he asked, gazing at the small rabbit below him.

"Ready!"

Just as he began plucking and dropping palm-sized peaches, a spark of green light appeared beside the golden fox.

"Eh?" Tails, as well as Amy and Cream gazed at the emerald rays of light materializing before their eyes and appearing out of the light was a group of people.

"Sonic!" Tails cried joyful.

"Tails!" Sonic smiled, then he frowned seeing something was incorrect with the picture, but before he could figure it out…he, as well as the others plummeted to the ground.

"…Ah he was flying!" Sonic declared.

Shadow, Rouge and Daisy gave him death glares; meanwhile Scythe felt it appropriate to voice his opinion.

"Good one dumbass!" Scythe glared murderously.

"Hey! How was I to know that he's hovering in midair?" Sonic cried.

"Are you guys, okay?" Amy asked, approaching them.

She stooped lower to help Sonic up, then made eye contact with Scythe, "…Oh, who are you?"

"The mean bean over there is Scythe (Scythe turns to look at Sonic and frowns.) and the cute shortcake is Daisy."

"Nice to meet both of you," Amy smiled, "You both must be friends of Sonic's!"

Daisy nodded her head vigorously while Scythe gazed at Amy as if he had stepped in a wad of moldy gum. Cream slowly made her way over toward the silver-eyed hedgehog who glared venomously at her. But instead of being afraid, she smiled, "Hi!"

Scythe frowned, 'Aw _damn! I can't even frighten little children anymore! Hanging around these creampuffs is turning me soft….._'

Daisy looked at Scythe and laughed, "Nice try, but maybe she can see past the scary face like I can!"

Scythe turned to look at the yellow hedgehog with an unreadable expression, "What does that mean?"

Before Daisy could give her answer, Sonic mashed his through the horde of friends until he stood before Amy, gazing down at her with large green eyes, "D-do I smell…CHILIDOGS?"

Smiling, Amy nodded her head, "Yep, and there's plenty of more foods in the kitchen! Come on, let me show you."

Sonic whooped following Amy, "Well then COOK IT UP! Shadow; _get the hell out of her way_! She's trying to get to the kitchen!"

Shadow remained stationary until Rouge halfheartedly pulled the ebony hedgehog towards her. Sonic whooped and hollered until he disappeared from sight. Shadow slowly made his way over to the white bat that sat at the ledge of the grassy cliff. He sat in the area she signaled for him to sit with a light pat.

Just as the dark hedgehog sat down, Rouge leaned her head against his chest. Shadow heard a soft sigh as he wrapped an arm around her back.

"…Couldn't you just stay like this forever?" Rouge asked gently.

"…No, then my joints would lock up."

Tickled by his humor, Rouge laughed, she elevated her gaze so she could look into deep red eyes, he arched an eye brow as he saw the white bat color slightly, "What?"

Rouge's couldn't help but burst into a full laugh, "I can't believe I'm with someone so perfect! You're gorgeous!"

"Hmm," Shadow thoughtfully turned to look into the sky.

Rouge's laughter died down into a content smile, "And yet you think nothing of it…"

"How can I? When I see someone as lovely as you daily," he replied, turning his gaze to her.

Laughing, Rouge found herself nestled into one of Shadow's soft, light kisses.

"Lunch's ready!" Amy called.

The handsome couple slowly broke off the kiss and turned to join the others who were clumped around the blanket where food was being set. As soon as the last of the plates were set, they all dove in laughing and jesting, enjoying the presence of each other.

* * *

_The Sahara Base...

* * *

_

Slowly, circling the perimeters of the base was the red echidna. He took slow, dignified steps, and yet, he wandered around the base aimlessly.

Perhaps he was awaiting Shadow's return, because he knew that it was only a matter of time before Shadow would have to come back to the base and face-off with Eggman.

Just as Knuckles made a turn around a left corner, he suddenly felt an unholy pain surge through his body, and as he grabbed his chest grimacing, he crumpled on the floor. Knuckles gnashed his teeth as he felt streams of pain rack through his body. The echidna began gasping for air and tried to pull himself off of the ground, but found that he lacked the strength to do so.

'_Wha…What's happening to me? I feel so weak…Can't…handle…much more of this..'_

Just as the echidna was starting to loose his grip on consciousness, the pain left just as suddenly as it had appeared. Knuckles sat up silently, trying to process what had happened. Still breathing harshly, he wiped the cool sweat from his head, "What was that…about? Is this a side-effect of Eggman's---"

Then he heard something in his mind, a voice ringing as clearly as a bell.

'_Forgive me….Knuckles, for I am weak…'_

_

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_Angel Island..._

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_

The sky above the island had turned the dull, bleak color mal-intentioned auras were. Thick clouds hid the sun, the bright starof the sky, and lying on her back, staring numbly into thin air was the ancient monarch.

The island had begun to sink into the ebony-colored sea, and the echidna princess had no strength or desire to pick herself up from the ground. She felt the water beginning to lap around her face, but she made no movements, the only thing she could do with her limited strength was just to gaze.

Eggman had beaten her and taken the Master Emerald without breaking a sweat. She had failed her duties to protect the Emerald…and she had failed Knuckles.

As the water began to soak her hair, Tikal began to think: what would Knuckles think of her now that she had allowed the Master Emerald to be taken?

She clenched her eyes shut tightly as tears swelledin her eyes, '_He'd hate me! he'd never respect me after this…I don't deserve to live after this_…'

The memories of what happened were still vibrant in her head…

* * *

"_Dr. Eggman?" Tikal asked, feeling her nerves beginning to leave her._

"_Correct, and now I offer you two choices: surrender the Master Emerald or face severe consequences."_

_Backing away slowly, Tikal gazed skyward at one of Eggman's hovering contraptions, she trembled; it wasn't as if she hadn't' fought before, but whenever there was trouble on Angel Island, Knuckles was always there to fight alongside of her ._

_And now…he wasn't here to help her…_

_The Doctor smiled at the ancient monarch, it seemed as if she had backed off, allowing him to take the Emerald as easy as pie. __And besides, the girl was literally shaking in her boots, there was no way she'd give him opposition._

"_Wise choice girl," the Doctor purred contently, "The Emerald shall be well taken care of." _

_Without another word, the doctor headed straight towards the Emerald. Silently, Tikal watched as the Doctor began to try to snatch the Emerald from its podium._

_Images of ago long suddenly flooded her mind, she grabbed her head and cried out as she remembered her people fighting and spilling blood over the very same stone Eggman was about to waltz away with. Images of death and destruction, and fire and pain, enveloped her mind. _

_These were the images that had molded her into the withdrawn, eerily quiet princess she had become. Something had sparked all these painful memories of her being too weak and too emotionally unstable to take up the reigns of her kingdom. _

_Centuries ago her life had evolved around this jewel, and even though she was too afraid…or too weak to become the future ruler of her people, her father gave his daughter both dignity and self value in becoming the guardian of the Master Emerald; it was the best gift he gave his daughter, because no matter what, she always had the Master Emerald, which, in a sense offered her a secret comfort. _

_Besides Knuckles, the Emerald was the only thing she could count on; in fact, it had been with her before she had even fallen for the handsome red warrior. A__nd now, her lack of backbone allowed an evil man to take one of the few things that kept her sane; the Master Emerald._

_Tikal_ _backed away, letting tears roll down her cheeks and past quivering lips; what would her people think of her? Or her father? _

_The people of her past would probably scoff and laugh at her for proving them right about being the weakling they thought her as. __Her father would probably be heart broken, finally seeing his daughter for what she really was, a coward…But what would Knuckles think?_

_Aqua eyes widened…Knuckles…_

_The only person she truly loved…_

_Even if the only experience she had in love was running away from an arranged marriage with an arrogant, lustful fiancé… she knew that without a shadow of a doubt, she loved Knuckles…the only boy who had been kind to her with only friendship in mind. _

_She had to defend the Master Emerald not only for him…but for herself, so she could prove to her people once and for all that she was not a total failure. __Soft, aqua-hinted eyes were engulfed in fiery-red abysses. She took to the air and swooped at Eggman like a falcon._

"_I AM NOT WEAK! I SHALL NOT BE DENIED!" _

_The Princess crashed into the metal bulk, and sent the Doctor spiraling in the air. _

_Once the doctor regained control over his hovercraft, he turned his gaze turned the monarch who stared at him with furious eyes, "You stupid girl! Very well then! You have sealed your fate with such a brash move!" _

_Eggman_ _unleashed a barricade of machinegun bullets upon the princess who ducked and smashed into the hovercraft yet again. __Eggman yelped, searching for the princess who suddenly seemed to disappear. _

"_Where in the world…is she?" Eggman asked, scanning the area._

_Slowly, he turned to his rear to see the Princess, slowly rising to meet him face to face. __Before he could turn his weapons to face her, with monstrous strength, she began to rip the device limb from limb with hands that her people claimed were fragile and weak. _

"_Are you crazy? What are you doing?" Eggman gasped._

_But little did he know that she was in a completely different world, fighting monsters of the past that she never had the courage to face, "I AM NOT WEAK! I AM NOT WEAK! I AM OF WORTH! I AM PRINCESS TIKAL! AND NOW, I SUMMON THE HEAVEN'S JUSTICE!"_

_Rays of blue light crashed and tore into Eggman's machince, sending him plummeting towards the ocean. Once Tikal saw that he was out of view, all her anger and strength left her as she quickly descended to the ground and collapsed. _

_Gasping, she slowly rose her gaze towards the Master Emerald, and a new feeling, a new joy began to grow inside of her; she had proven those doubtful skeptics wrong. She not only had the courage to defend the emerald, but she was successful. _

_Slowly, Tikal rose to her feet, and at first,unsurely approached the Emerald, but then, the feeling of joy overtook her and she began to sprint, laughing all the while, "I…I did it…I stopped him….I am not weak…I am not weak…I am…a good guardian…father was right! I am a good guardian! I did it! Father, Knuckles, I did it!"_

_She reached the Emerald and hugged it; it welcomed her by pulsing warmly. Tikal threw her head back and laughed, "I did it, friend! I did it! I protected you and proven myself worthy as a guardian! I did it! I did---!"_

_The sound of a machinegun firing sounded and cut the princess off mid sentence. She gasped slightly, feeling a burning pain in her midsection. _

_She looked at her abdomen to see blood covering her once defined stomach. She then looked at the Emerald to see that it was splashed red. __At the touch of blood, the emerald blinked repeatedly. _

_Before Tikal could say another word, another legion of bullets were fired, and she dropped to the floor with a cry, gasping from pain. __E__ggman slowly walked passed her gasping, with smoke still rising from the barrel of his gun, "Foolish girl! No one shall deter my plans, come hell or high water!"_

_He walked passed her and stood gazing at the winking Emerald, " Now then, how shall I take it back to my hovercraft? That woman did a number on it…" _

_Tikal_ _slowly opened opaque aqua eyes and they fell upon the Emerald, she smiled slightly, recognizing its signal patterns, "…It's…okay friend….I cannot die…I am…an immortal…gu…ar..dian…but I can feel pain…greatly…s..e…n..d…Knuckles…then d..is..pel y..our…po..w..er.." _

_The Emerald flashed a deep red momentarily, mirroring the fine color of Knuckles' coat, then itturned completely black. __The Island began to rumble as it started its descent into the ocean. Eggman gasped slightly, then regained his composure, "This makes it much easier to bring the Emerald to the Hovercraft." _

_Just as Tikal began to loose consciousness, she muttered, "Forgive me….Knuckles, for I am weak…"_

_

* * *

_

Tikal opened pale eyes into the bright sun; the water had risen much higher from the last time she was conscious. The water had stung her eyes as it was beginning to cover her snout. She frowned slightly, awaiting the water to overtake her.

Once she felt the water steal the last of her oxygen, she slowly opened her eyes, staring at the fading blue sky. Slowly, the world around her was getting darker as she sank deeper into the black sea.

'_Good bye…world_…'

She felt herself beginning to submerge into unconscious.

* * *

'_Don't give up, my daughter, it is not your time yet to come home and join your people, now wake up, guardian of the Emerald! Wake up and breathe the air of life_!'

* * *

Tikal woke up, feeling something heaving her out of her watery tomb. She gasped and coughed up water, looking up at her hero, the face belonged to her...

"F-Father?" Tikal called weakly.

Her father's soft smiled slowly dissolved into a younger, handsome face; the owner had warm amethyst eyes, "Knuckles?"

"I'm here Tikal, you're safe…"

* * *

_Tail's Workshop..._

_

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_

After the great feast they had for dinner, the girls had decided to take a bath in one of Tails' new saunas he had created. By now the sun had set and the beginning of night was marked by the twinkling stars.

Under the great moon's eye sat three feminine figures simmering in bubbling, hot opaque water. Rouge sighed gently as she slowly sank into the water, "That fox boy is surely a genius!"

"Yeah," Amy agreed, face flushed from the heat, "He sure knows how to use his geek skills wisely!"

Both Amy and Rouge tittered lightly, Cream popped out of the water playing with two dolls, " Aah! Help me! Save me! Save me!"

Rouge arched an interested eyebrow, "Cream, what are you playing, honey?"

Cream gazed over her shoulder at the older female, " I'm playing 'Mermaid Adventures' again."

Amy smiled, " Hey, what happened to playing 'Sonic Adventure' with all the cute figurines I bought you?"

"I played that with Mister Scythe already," Cream said happily.

"…"

Rouge and Amy exchanged glances as Cream continued, "Yeah! It was really fun! In the game Mister Sonic was tied on a stick and barbecued, Mister Shadow was shipped off to Australia, and Mister Scythe himself became the supreme ruler of the world!"

"And what happened to Rouge and Amy and Cream in the game?" Rouge asked.

" Rouge and Amy fell in love with the handsome tyrant as every girl in the world did and became his servants! And Cream got to play with Tails!" Cream chirped happily.

"…"

Rouge and Amy exchanged another look at each other as Cream continued playing her game of, 'Mermaid Adventures.' Both girls looked up as they heard feet slapping upon the pavement; it was Daisy's petite form that appeared before them wrapped in a single towel.

"Ah, there she is! Come on in Daisy, the water's fine!" Rouge called, waving at the young girl.

Slowly, Daisy made her way over towards the sauna, " Okay, I'll be in just a minute."

Both Rouge and Amy were relaxing in the sauna with their eyes closed, enjoying the bubbling heat. Frowning slightly, the young girl still held her towel wrapped around her slender, rather straight figure.

'_Dang it, why can't I have a fuller figure like them?_' Daisy thought glaring at them slightly.

Just as she began to remove her towel and join the other girls, a wisp of green light appeared right behind Rouge, "See Shadow, it's that simple; you lock onto someone's location, and bingo-bango, there ya go!"

A deeper voice spoke, "Ah, so that explains why we appeared here, but I thought I keyed in upon Rouge…where is she?"

Four pairs of eyes fell upon Daisy who gasped and instantly tightened her grip upon her towel, not to mention that her face turned six shades of red.

"…Oops," Sonic said dumbly.

"…" was both Shadow's and Tails' response.

"…Straighter than I thought," was Scythe's.

Rouge slowly opened an eye, " What's wrong, Daisy?"

Daisy pointed a trembling finger behind the white bat and both Amy and Rouge turned to look at the males who in turn, looked at them.

"Ah! THERE Rouge is!" Sonic cried.

"…………"

In a matter of seconds, Shadow, Sonic, Tails and Scythe found themselves running from three screaming, angry females who torn through the workshop right on their tails.

"COME BACK HERE!"

"WE'RE NOT THROUGH WITH YOU GUYS YET!"

"CALL ME 'STRAIGHT' WILL YA?"

Just as Rouge, Amy, and Daisy reached the front law of the workshop, they all skid to astop to see that the boys had indeed stopped running.

...Had they just signed their death warrants?

Before any of the females could react, they paused and gasped, understanding why the males had halted in their tracked. In front of them stood a red echidna with a bowed head holding an unconscious female echidna in his arms. His knee-length quills swayed gently in the wind as the moonlit-figure in his arms perspired crimson droplets of blood.

In fact, the male echidna was standing in a puddle of blood…

* * *

To be continued! 

Chapter Theme: '_Hero'_-Mariah Carey-(Yeah! Go Tikal!)


	23. The Eve of battle

**_UlTTrRa_** **_SiK_** **_pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: _**

**LoVe'S** **bUrN**

By: UlTtrrAa ShAdDow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters...but I'd be a very happy guy if I did!

-Okay Lo siento, I apologize for not updating for awhile. But to make up for it, this is a nice, long juicy chapter! And when I say long, I mean long! Muwahaha!

-And also, I think the author-answering-reviews idea is kinda sweet, so when you review, I'll reply to it! But as always, enjoy the fic!

_You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel."_

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Pov: _Third person_

* * *

Standing before the group of friends was the very echidna who held the fierce red eyes and the stern, adamant scowl. However, as he slowly rose his head and gazed upon them, his crimson eyes, behind all the intensity, held glimmers of ache. For in his hands he held a bleeding, female echidna.

For a moment it seemed as if a wave of sorrow had flooded the echidna, but once his sights fell upon a familiar ebony hedgehog, his demeanor changed instantly as his eyes glinted ominously. Only a few seconds of intense eye contact sparked between the two before the figure of their affection spoke, "Knuckles…"

The bright crimson echidna eagerly turned his gaze to the orange fox who blinked at him from behind his taller, blue friend, "Tails! She needs medical attention NOW!"

Tails jumped, being dislodged out of his semi-daydream state, "Oh, of course! Sonic, I may need a little help with carrying her!"

Instantly, the blue hero sparked to life, "Of course lil' bud."

As the golden fox approached the echidna quickly, he looked over his shoulders, calling to the others, "Amy, do you think you could prepare a fresh bed for Tikal and boil some water for her injuries? "

"Right!" The pink hedgehog made treks into the workshop.

"Shadow, could you and Scythe gather firewood for the fire?"

"Count on it," Shadow turned away disappearing through a thicket of trees.

"…The hell kind of technology do you have." The silver-eyed hedgehog followed Shadow seconds later.

"Cream, could you please make a batch of coffee…I feel that I'm gonna need the whole pitcher!" Tails sighed.

"Okay," Cream said running inside.

Tails watched as Sonic carried the limp Tikal in his hands, and just as the azure hedgehog entered his workshop he stared at the remaining friends then followed his older friend. This left Rouge, Knuckles and Daisy standing outside.

The red echidna stared silently at the grassy earth before him, now that the black and crimson hedgehog had left, he was able to lower his guard, slightly.

Rouge was silent, staring at the grass below her feet as well, slowly she elevated her gaze to the red echidna before her. Although his fur was a natural reddish hue, the stains of Tikal's life fluid stood out rather boldly.

"Knuckles…" Rouge began, sorrow filling her voice.

"…"

"I have to go now, Tikal needs me, and I have to clean myself up," Knuckles said no louder than a murmur.

He walked passed her silently, never taking his sights from in front of him. The white bat watched silently, not knowing how to react.

"Who is he?" the yellow hedgehog asked.

"He's…" Rouge paused, thinking of an appropriate answer, "He's my ex."

The yellow hedgehog's ears dropped, "…Oh boy…"

* * *

Tails stood outside of a closed, wooden door with a medical kit in hand and a white coat draped loosely about his frame. It was only mere seconds ago that Shadow and Scythe returned with the firewood for the hot water. Tails sighed; the stupid gray-eyed hedgehog had given him quite a handful about not having a fully operational stove.

"_What's wrong with you? Here you have some stove from the nineteenth century, and yet, on the other hand, you have the Coffee King two-thousand. If that isn't bastardly, I don't know what is." _

The golden fox waited serenely, blinking; it had felt more than good to kick the bickering hedgehog out of his place…even if momentarily. His idol, Sonic, reclined on his favorite couch that he dubbed 'the throne,' and tapped his foot anxiously as he tried to force his thoughts upon the television before him.

Sighing lightly, Cream watched the bubbling dark brown liquid brew as she wrung her hands. The slamming of a door made all three of the room's occupants jump as they turned to gaze at the stone-faced echidna entering the room.

"Jeez man!" Sonic hissed.

Ignoring the blue hedgehog, Knuckles approached Tails who appeared to be waiting outside of a slightly closed door. The echidna was dripping water lightly, with water running from the tips of his unruly quills; it was obvious that the echidna had just returned from a bath.

Before the echidna could speak to the fox, a shrill cry of pain was heard from behind the heavy door. Knuckles sharply turned his intense, hawkeyed gaze upon Tails, "…What are you still doing out here?"

Slightly frustrated, Tails turned to face the echidna, "I'm waiting for Amy to finish bathing Tikal and for her to finish dressing her wounds."

Then the small fox arched an eyebrow, "Do you _want _me to see her now?"

An odd expression crossed the echidna's face, "No!"

Slightly haughty, the fox replied, "I thought not."

Seconds later, the door opened and a wet, disheveled Amy Rose closed the heavy wooden door behind her, panting. She was soaked from head to toe and her breaths came out in deep, ragged streams. Noticeably, her eyes were like green inferno.

Suddenly the blue hero turned to gaze upon the pink hedgehog feeling anxious, and ultimately stimulated. The sight of a wet, dangerous, wild-looking Amy Rose had sent these vibes into the azure hedgehog.

"I…did it…" Amy gasped, "She's…all yours."

"Is she all right?" Knuckles asked carefully.

Instantly Amy turned to look at him incredulously, " Oh she's more than fine. She's got enough fight in her to take on the heavy-weight boxing champion!"

"Well then, I'm off to see my client," Tails replied.

He straightened his white coat and entered the room, stone-faced.

"…He's certainly taking this seriously, isn't he?" Sonic said as Amy took a cup of coffee and sat beside him.

Knuckles glanced sideways at the hedgehog, "He'd better be."

"Yeah," Sonic said turning his gaze to the floor.

The blue hedgehog looked up at Knuckles, who leaned against a nearby wall. The red echidna gazed skyward, as if he was in his own thought world.

"…What, Sonic?"

Sonic snapped to attention; momentarily he had begun to daydream, but now the red-eyed echidna was returning his stare. Sonic frowned slightly; just what had happened to his friend to have turned him…into this being standing before him?

"How have you been, man?"

Knuckles blinked momentarily, then smiled, it was the innocence of the question that had gotten to him, "… It's been long…"

Sonic sighed, "…I know what you mean…"

Another odd switch was triggered inside the echidna, and his eyes became inferno, "And how could you possibly know what I've been through?"

Sonic and Amy blinked, caught off guard by his sudden venomous behavior, "Jeez, sorry! What's eating you?"

The front door opened as Scythe and Daisy entered appearing to have finished another one of their arguments. The red echidna's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the black hedgehog, "You…"

"…Uh-huh…"

"But?--"

"…Tried to kill me."

"…Why?"

"…He's a bastard."

Frowning slightly, Amy looked from Sonic, to Cream, to Daisy, "Did I miss something?"

Scythe's smile hardened, "Inevitably, I think both of us have some explaining to do."

Knuckles nodded his head, "When Tails is done with Tikal."

Scythe nodded in response then turned to look at the yellow hedgehog with the coffee-colored eyes, "Get Shadow and Rouge, I don't feel like telling the story multiple times."

* * *

The moon washed over the oceanic landscape, and found its reflection in the gentle, sighing ocean. Admiring the view together was the white bat and crimson-quilled hedgehog. Turning to look at the hedgehog behind her, Rouge turned delicate blue eyes upon him, "Shadow…it just seems so awkward trying to talk to him."

Shadow had a solution to the problem though, "…Then don't."

Rouge sighed, "Shadow…don't be like that, he's still my--"

Rouge paused. Shadow arched an eye brow and turned to face her, "Your what?"

Rouge remained silent staring at the grass, "I…don't…"

Electricity arched through Shadow, "Do you still love him?"

Rouge quickly gazed up at Shadow, unable to find her voice. The hedgehog stared at her with an unreadable expression, possibly due impart to the shadows masking his eyes.

His fist curled into a tight ball, just as he was about to speak, the front door opened, revealing a yellow hedgehog, " Hey, you guys, you might wanna hear this…"

Without another word, Shadow entered the workshop.

"Shadow!" Rouge called, rising to her feet.

The ebony hedgehog kept walking until he disappeared from sight; not once did he turn to gaze upon her. Rouge followed quickly and entered the workshop.

She found herself amongst the others, who were congregated around Tails' best, and the only wooden table in the metal workshop. Everyone, sans Tails were talking amongst themselves softly. Rouge decided to take a seat between Amy and Daisy.

A door closed gently as Tails finally emerged from Tikal's room with an almost empty pot of coffee. The young fox looked beyond exhausted and took the nearest seat, "Before everyone bombards me with questions, one: yes, Tikal's okay. Two: No you can't visit her, she's asleep. And three if you really wanna see her, then talk to her later, not now."

Tails took a deep breath and continued, "Okay...let's…let's get a move on. What is the big, important meeting about?"

"Want more coffee, Tails?" Cream asked.

"Oh yes please," Tails said.

She took the pot and headed towards the kitchen. Sonic bit his lower lip, "Okay, how about you start Knux, and tell us about what happened to Tikal."

Knuckles sighed, he suddenly looked fatigued, " I…I believe Eggman did this to her, because the Master Emerald is gone."

Everyone's face in the room fell. Sonic just happened to vocalize all of their feelings, "Aw dammit!"

Knuckles curled his fists into tight balls, and ember sparked in his eyes, "…He double-crossed me. I trusted him completely, and then he turns around and stabs me in the back. He took the Master Emerald…"

Sorrow threatened to overwhelm his features, "…And then he hurt Tikal, she paid for my ignorance, my stupidity. She shouldn't have to pay for my faults…"

A wave of silence fell upon the crowd, who stared sympathetically at the echidna. Cream even continued to pour coffee in an already full cup, spilling over the counter.

However Scythe, who was slightly less than touched, sucked on his teeth nonchalantly. Daisy, who sat nearest to him, was already in tears. Scythe crossed his arms; this was enough.

Sure Eggman had hurt her, but hadn't he had done the same thing to him? Not to mention the fact that he would carrying the nice, half-moon scar on his eye lid for life, because some of Eggman's androids thought it would be fun to try and carve hieroglyphics into his face.

Everyone in this room was missing the bigger picture; of course Tikal had been collateral damage in his path, but Eggman had taken the Master Emerald, and was about to do some really nasty stuff.

Taking a step forward Scythe was ready to speak, "True, many of us have fallen into Eggman's cruel grasp, but now, he is plotting some pretty evil crap with that stone. If we don't stop him, then many others will become his victims as well."

"Well, if we all go to fight him, won't we be enough to stop him?" Amy asked.

Smiling slightly, Scythe shook his head, "No…And that's just it. I have no idea how the Emerald works, but all I know is that if it's in his hands. We're screwed."

Sonic clamped a hand upon Knuckles' shoulder, "Well, that's why we have the expert of the Master Emerald right here, Knuckles, the guardian of the Emerald."

Knuckles blinked, "Well, if he has the Emerald of course we're--"

Suddenly, the red guardian smiled crookedly. Shadow arched an eyebrow, "What is there to smile about?"

Knuckles turned a confident, red-eyed gaze towards the black hedgehog, "Sure, the Master Emerald being gone is a bad thing…we're done for only _if_ he's able to activate its powers. However, only someone of the Guardian blood can harness its powers."

Tails smiled, "So that means, he can't completely start his plans, because he's lacking the powers of the Master Emerald!"

Knuckles smiled, "Exactly."

"Well that buys us tons more time to make our move," Sonic said happily.

"But that still does not answer my initial question," Shadow said, more so to himself,"What is he using the emerald for?"

"Power source," Scythe replied, eyes glazing over slightly, "Through the procuring of the Master Emerald, master and creator Eggman will have an indefinite source of power to use at his expense."

Sonic blinked, "Okay...that was kinda weird..."

Daisy blinked up at him, surprised slightly, "And just how do you know this?"

Scythe smirked, "Well, momentarily, I _was_ a bad guy."

"Also," he tapped his head, "The information is in my database."

"?" Was Daisy's response.

"Database?" Rouge asked, "What do you mean?"

Scythe laughed, "Oh come on now, you know what my creator specializes in; robotics."

Daisy stood up and rushed over to the silver hedgehog, looking frantic, "So what was that creepy monotone speech you just gave us? And as for the barcode on your arm? And what are you? Are you--"

"Artificial intelligence?" Tails asked.

"Not quite," Scythe said smiling, "I'm made of blood, tissue, and bone, just like the rest of you, but I just happen to have some machinery in me."

He tapped his gray stomach and smiled at Rouge, "You think a normal guy could survive a shot to the chest at point-blank range? It was my abs of steel that saved my ass!"

"But isn't your abdominal below your chest?" Tails asked.

Scythe frowned, "Shut up."

Daisy stepped away from him in shock, "An—a robot?"

"Cyborg," Rouge corrected carefully.

"Okay," said Sonic, adjusting slightly in his seat; this all had been a lot to swallow, "So here's what we just learned: Eggman can't use the Master Emerald, and Scythe's some kind of cyborg."

Rouge turned to look at Scythe, "So why would Eggman try to destroy his only breathing, living creation? You'd seem to be his most…valued possession. You exceed even Metal Sonic!"

Scythe smiled, "Machines have their limits of strength, but your boyfriend, Shadow, has no limits of power….So the Eggman says."

Shadow shrugged, "The doctor may be sadistic and twisted, but he knows power when he sees it."

"…Says the fatty in the roller-skates!" Sonic replied.

Shadow paid him no heed, acting as if he had never spoken. Cream giggled lightly.

"So in the meantime, what do we do?" Amy asked.

"If we're going to see Eggman," Tails said, "Then we're going to have to prepare for this expedition."

"The sooner we attack him, the better," Shadow said.

"Agreed," Sonic said nodding his head.

Scythe turned to look at Knuckles, "So are you in with us? Are you going to kick Eggmans' ass with us?"

Knuckles narrowed his eyes, "No one messes with my friend and my emerald and lives to tell about it."

Sighing, Tails looked up at his cuckoo-bird clock on the wall, "Wow, it's already twelve in the morning…"

"It's much too late for anyone to return home at this hour," Rouge said, stretching slightly, "I'll phone your mother Cream, do you think that will be all right if you stay for the night?"

Cream nodded her head vigorously, "Oh yes! This'll be fun! It'll be like a huge sleepover!

"I'll go get the blankets and pillows," Amy said, heading towards a closet, "Wanna help me Cream?"

The small rabbit smiled, "Okay Amy!"

Smirking, Scythe watched them disappear, and he found himself setting his sights upon the yellow hedgehog, however he noticed that when he took a step towards her, she backed away from him. Scythe frowned; was she trembling as well?

"You can't be…a machine," Daisy whispered looking at him with a heartbreaking sob, "I…don't believe it…"

Just as soon as she had uttered those words, she had bolted out of Tail's front door in a fit of tears and sobs. Scythe, clearly taken off guard followed her.

"…What's eating shortcake?" Sonic asked, blinking.

Shadow scoffed; what an idiot, how _dare_ people ever compare him to the blue moron, "Isn't it obvious?"

The young fox turned his attention to his friends before him, "Well… would you guys like to start planning our actions against Eggman now? Or wait until later?"

"Hmm? Oh good idea lil' bud, let's start now," Sonic said smiling at his little friend.

"I just hope they're okay," Tails sighed, looking at the place the two hedgehogs once were.

The four of them found seats closer together. The azure hedgehog gazed around at the other four faces within their circle. He couldn't help but smile; never would he thought that these people before him would be collaborating with each other.

"Knuckles?" It was a slightly deep female voice.

Although she had addressed the red echidna, the entire group directed their attention towards Rouge, "Can I speak to you please?"

Without a word, Knuckles rose to his feet and began to follow Rouge outside, "You guys go ahead and start without me, I'll catch up with you later."

However, before he left the echidna failed to see the look upon the crimson and black quilled hedgehog's face. Sonic threw his hands up in disappear, " Jeez! Does anyone else in our group plan on leaving now?"

* * *

Just as Knuckles shut the door to the workshop, Rouge spun to face him, eyes alit with emotion, " Knuckles…I…" 

Knuckles waved his hand, "Rouge, there's no need to apologize."

"Knuckles, its because of me that you joined Eggman," Rouge said shaking her head, "I…I never meant for all of this to happen. Especially with the incident with Tikal."

Knuckles gazed at Rouge with miserable, crimson eyes, "Don't…say that, you didn't have anything to do with what Eggman did to her. I've let all bygones be bygones."

Rouge blinked up at him, " Do you…really mean that?"

Knuckles nodded his head, "Yes. The only person I have a vendetta with is Eggman himself."

"And what about Shadow?" Rouge asked.

Knuckles sighed, "…There are bigger things between the two of us now. He knows that too. Everyone will be in serious trouble if Eggman has the Master Emerald's power at his hands."

An uncomfortable silent passed between them, Knuckles shifted his weight to his other leg and gazed at Rouge, "…So, are you with Shadow officially now?"

Rouge nodded her head in response, "Yeah."

"Has he been good to you?"

Rouge smiled, "Yes Knuckles, he has."

The red echidna looked at her sideways, "…Is he a better kisser than me?"

A strong blush broke upon Rouge's face as she fell into a fit of laughter, "Knuckles! I will NOT answer that question!"

Knuckles winked at her, "I believe you know the answer to that one."

Rouge smiled at him as the warrior continued, "Just so you know, I'll always care for you Rouge, no matter what or who you choose."

"Thank you Knuckles," Rouge smiled slyly, "I'll hold you to that!"

Just before Rouge left, she felt a gentle hand clamp down upon her wrist. She turned to look at the red echidna who stared at her with a soft, warm gaze, "So I know we're friends and all now…but…"

He looked off to the side before he returned her inquisitive gaze, "…Can we share just one more kiss?"

* * *

Tears muddled the yellow hedgehog's vision as she tore through the trees and bushes, not caring whether or not they scratched her bare arms and legs. She finally rested herself when she reached a moon-lit lake. Daisy collapsed at the edge of the lake, looking at her reflection. 

She sniffled quietly until she heard loud, uncanny noises coming from the direction she had just come from. Daisy turned her gaze behind her and saw a path of trees, grass, leaves, and bushes flying into the air.

A final tree collapsed, and there standing on the tree was the silver and black hedgehog. Glowing green eyes had fallen upon her as he approached her with a prominent stride.

In fear of the creature who had made quite an entrance and looked almost demonic in appearance with the glowing eyes, Daisy covered her face. When she uncovered her face and looked up at him, she was staring at the silver-eyed hedgehog yet again. With his brow furrowed, he didn't give off the air of being angered, but more so confused.

"Please don't do that again," Daisy sniffled, "The whole glowing green-eyed thing was scary."

Scythe smirked, "…What? I was using my night vision. How do you think I found you so fast?"

He made a dark smile, "Next time I'll have to use my heat vision, then my eyes will be red."

Then his smile disappeared, "Why did you run away like that?"

Daisy looked up at him, "What?"

"I said, 'why did you run off like that?' You only freaked after I told you that I was half robotic."

Daisy wrapped her arms around her legs and placed her face on her knees, "…Because…"

She shook her head "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I shouldn't have done that."

"And yet you haven't answered me."

"Because…I have to admit, you caught me off guard with that."

Scythe squatted so that he was on her level. He waited for her to continue, "But I mean…"

She suddenly blushed and looked away; Scythe looked at her skeptically, "What?"

"Nothing, nothing," she said shaking her head furiously.

"…Want the green lights to go on again?" Scythe asked smiling darkly.

The dark hedgehog smiled even wider at the sight of her sudden fear, " O-okay then…I'll tell you."

She looked down as she began to twiddle her thumbs, "Well, I was just thinking about…um…how we could work out together if you were an android."

Her face flared with color as he quickly snapped his head to look at her, "…Together? As if we were---a couple?"

He looked at her with an intense expression. It wasn't displeased or joyous; it was more so a look that one wore before going into battle; stern.He stood up and offered her a hand, she gratefully took his hand and they started back to the workshop in silence. Daisy gazed at the hedgehog worriedly; just what thoughts were going through his mind?

_'That's a bit odd, he didn't act pro or con...'

* * *

_

It was a brand new day at Tails' workshop. The day had opened beautifully; the clear blue sky stretched for miles without a single cloud in sight. The group had decided that today would be last day before they infiltrated Eggman's base.

So, in order to prepare for the day, Shadow and Sonic thought it appropriate to train the others for combat. Both of the hedgehogs set up different types of drills, ranging from training that dealt with speed, endurance, strength, mental prowess, and combat abilities.

They decided to create teams based on how well everyone performed and observing everyone's strengths and weakness. Sonic based his decisions off of how well certain people worked well with each other.

He noticed that whenever Knuckles and Tails were put together in a drill, they had a system of where one person attacked and the other covered.

He also noticed that Shadow and Scythe tried to best each other by destroying the most targets and they usually ended up becoming fatigued or careless. Shadow based his decisions off of individual talent.

With Knuckles'almost berserk strength, it was most likely that he would be able to balance the lesser capabilities of someone like Amy Rose. However, since the pink hedgehog was a couple of steps quicker than the echidna and had a longer reach with her weapon, she would be able to cover some of his flaws as well.

He also noticed that when someone like Sonic or was Knuckles was fighting alongside someone such as Amy or Rouge, they fought and strived much more valiantly.

* * *

Now, it was eleven in the morning and everyone was finishing up their last obstacle course drill. With Daisy and Cream scorekeeping at the finish line they recorded the times and winners with the order being:

Sonic: 52 seconds

Shadow: 52 seconds

Scythe: 1 minute 03 seconds

Knuckles: 1 minute 05 seconds

Rouge: 1 minute 25 seconds

Tails: 1 minute 35 seconds

Amy: 1 minute 54 seconds

As they all panted, allowing their lungs to take in air, Daisy and Cream approached them with clipboards ready. Daisy smiled, ready to speak,"Well, congratulations! You have finally finished all of the training! So here are all the final results: In the speed drills Sonic, Shadow, and Scythe were consistently the top three. In strength drills, Knuckles, Scythe and Shadow finished in the top three the most."

Cream gazed at her clipboard, "And as for endurance tests, Sonic, Scythe and Knuckles were the top three regularly. In the mental capabilities test, Tails, Shadow and Rouge performed the best. And lastly, those who performed best in the combat category are: Knuckles, Sonic, and Shadow."

"Well," said Sonic, who was smiling slightly, "I'm pooped, I'm gonna eat before I do anything else, who's up for some grub?"

"Ooh! I am!" Amy called waving her hammer in the air.

"Yeah, me too!" Tails cried.

"Okay, I'll be back in ten with pizza!" the blue hedgehog darted out of sight.

Knuckles sighed, "Well, now at least I can see how Tikal is doing."

He left the others and entered the silent workshop. He opened the heavy wooden door to see that the echidna princess was sound asleep. Knuckles took a seat near the beige echidna and studied her carefully. Both Tails and Amy had done a fine job on cleaning and mending the echidna princess.

The only remaining signs of her injury where the white tape wrapping around her torso. He rested a gloved hand upon her face where heavy lashes rested upon her cheeks. At his touch the princess stirred slightly, she turned towards him and slowly awoke as she revealed turquoise eyes.

"Kn-knuckles!" she gasped.

The red warrior smiled at her gently, "Hey Tikal, how do you feel?"

"I feel a bit faint…and light-headed," she said, "…And cold."

She looked toward her midsection, gasped, and quickly shifted the blankets so they covered her almost completely, "W-what am I doing here?"

Knuckles' smile disappeared, "Eggman took the Master Emerald…and in the process he hurt you gravely."

Tikal's gaze dropped, "It was all my fault…I did not defend the Emerald—"

"Stop," Knuckles said, shaking his head, "You did all you could Tikal. I won't hear otherwise."

"Don't worry, we're going to fight him tomorrow and when we do, I'll get him good for you," Knuckles said smiling, "You just get better."

Tikal stared at the floor, "…All my life I was afraid…"

Knuckles looked up at her, "Huh?"

"As you know, I was the guardian of the Master Emerald before your time…I have always been afraid of fighting…and defending the Emerald because one day I knew that I would have to fight for it. But when I fought the Eggman…"

Tikal turned an intense gaze upon the other echidna, "Although I was afraid…I…I felt complete. Like I had finally found myself; like I had proven all my people wrong; that I'm not a coward or a weakling…that I am a true guardian of the Master Emerald. Knuckles, when you go to fight the Eggman again, I wish to accompany you."

"Tikal, you can't be serious, it's too--"

"Dangerous?" Tikal said with a dark whisper, "How dare you say that to me. Before you even walked the terra, I, Tikal, was the guardian of the Master Emerald. Although I may not have the fighting experience as you, but I do have the combat skills and techniques of those of the echidna warrior class. So do not lecture me about what is or isn't too dangerous for me."

Knuckles blinked, slightly stunned from the sudden personality change from the taciturn princess, "…If you wish to come with us Tikal, I can't stop you…but I can fight alongside of you."

Tikal smiled, "…Thank you Knuckles."

"But," Knuckles started, "That still does not change the fact that you're wounded…"

Knuckles almost jumped out of his skin when Tikal laughed loudly, "I am not an immortal for no reason…observe!"

Tikal closed her eyes as a bright blue flare of light engulfed her. Knuckles shielded his eyes, as the sky-blue light filled the room.

"Whoa!"

* * *

Night had fallen over the workshop as everyone was preparing for the next dawn. Everyone was thrilled that the ancient monarch had made a full recovery and was bound to join them in their fight against Eggman. 

It also meant that they had someone who could mend their wounds. Amy returned with a box filled with folded leather garments and dropped them in front of Rouge and Tikal.

"Well," Amy said, placing her hands on her hips, "If we're going to be doing combat, then don't you think us girls should have some combat clothes? 'Cause I will NOT be fighting in my dress!"

Rouge laughed and Tikal tittered. The huntress smiled, "I understand, but do you have an extra outfit for Tikal?"

"I ordered plenty!" Amy said happily.

She dug into the box and pulled out a black, leather one-piece outfit with pink ascensions, "This one's mine…"

Next she pulled out a black and purple suit, "This one's for you Rouge." She pulled out a black and green suit, "And for you Tikal."

Cream and Daisy watched distantly with admiring eyes. They both gasped when Amy dropped two more suits upon the floor. Daisy picked up the black and yellow suit as Cream held the small, black and orange suit. Daisy looked up at Amy with round eyes, "Are…are these for us?"

Amy winked, "You betcha!"

"Oh thank you!" Cream cried.

Both the rabbit and the yellow hedgehog bear-hugged Amy, "Augh!"

Amy plummeted to the floor with their combined weight and Daisy and Cream popped up as they admired their suits.

"Come on Cream!" Daisy cried, "Let's try on our suits!"

"Okay!" Cream chirped.

"…However, I hope you do that in a more secluded setting…"

Scythe entered the room smirking, he turned his gaze to Rouge,"By the way Rouge, Shadow wants to see you. He's outside."

* * *

Rouge appeared outside, spotting the red and black hedgehog, "You wanted something Shadow?"

Shadow turned to face her and did a double take, with Rouge in her leather, form-fitting suit, "…Look hot."

Rouge laughed and placed a hand on her hip, "Now why did you call me out here?"

Shadow playfully tapped his foot and looked stern. He put on a thinking face as he circled Rouge, seemingly taking all of her in. He After completing one full circle, he stopped before her, "That outfit is pretty tight…not that I mind at all but…"

Rouge sighed, ignoring him, "Shadow?"

Shadow's smile faded, "When we go tomorrow, I want you to be as careful as possible…And if things get too rough, I want you to pull out…Understood?"

Rouge smiled, "I understand…But the same goes for you Shadow."

The black hedgehog nodded his head and sighed, "Fine then. But it's getting late and we're going to need all of our strength for tomorrow. Let's get some rest."

Shadow took a couple of steps before he realized that Rouge wasn't alongside of him. He stopped and turned to look at her, " ?"

"Shadow?" Rouge asked looking up at him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Will…will you sleep with me tonight?" she asked.

The black and red hedgehog's pupils shrank to the size of dots, "…"

Rouge sighed, shaking her head lightly, "No I don't mean it that way…What I mean is…I'm nervous about tomorrow and…I feel that if I sleep with you beside me, I'll feel safer."

"Rouge you didn't even have to ask…I'd do anything for you," Shadow replied.

He reached out his hand toward the white bat, and smiling, Rouge took his hand, "..So you said you'd do anything, hmm? Would you wear pink frilly bows in your quills?"

"…Let's not get ridiculous…"

Shadow jumped slightly as he felt a pinch on the rear, " Yow! What was that for?"

Rouge smiled wickedly, " That was for the having your mind in the gutter when I asked you to sleep with me!"

"And who wouldn't?" a voice called from inside of the workshop.

"Shut up blue boy!" Rouge hissed.

* * *

To be continued! 

-Chapter 23 Theme-"_Hey There Lonely Boy_"-Stacy Lattisaw


	24. The day of reckoning

**_UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: _**

**_LoVe'S bUrN _**

_By: UlTrAa ShAdDow _

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did! _

_-Thanks for the reviews guys and any of these reviewers who write are authors with pretty slammin' fics of their own as well! _

_-**Mystery001**: Ha, yeah, everyone's been wonderin' whether or not Knux and Rouge kissed…but, we'll find that out next chapter! & yeah, I'll try to update sooner next time…I hope! Anyways, thanks for reviewing! _

_-**Jester of Euphoria**: Hey thank you! That's really nice to hear! And honestly as much as I like Knux (4th favorite character) I gotta go with the Shadow/Rouge pairing. :D Thanks for reviewing! _

_-**shadrougeforever**: Yeah, Knuckles is getting pretty bold huh? I'm pretty sure Shadow wouldn't be too happy if he found out about the whole situation…which we shall see about…next time! Thanks for the flavorful review! _

_-**LongLive ShadowXRouge**: yeah, I'm sorry for the long waits…I'll try to update sooner! …Maybe every Thursday or Friday…hopefully! Thanks for dropping a review! _

_-**JerseyDevil**: Thanks! Appreciate the review. Keep readin' and we shall see what Shadow thinks of this conformation! Oh, we shall see… _

_-**AliceStar**: XD Hey Allygurl! Thanks for the review and as always and I'll check out your fic. I've been reading a lot lately and reviewing too! Hopefully you've updated since I last looked, ya slacker! XD Thanks for the review Ally! _

_-**Rouge**: Thanks for the major props! When I read this I was like, 'Man, now I gotta update!' …and then that was the day my computer froze too! XD thanks for the review and hope you enjoy the rest of the story! _

_-**Ally Nasar:**Ey'! Thanks for the awesome review! I'm glad ya like the story so much! And dangit, we need more Shadrouge fics out there! Thanks for the review! _

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

_

* * *

Third POV…._

_

* * *

_

The air was damp, cold, and heavy to his lungs. It was as if he was wondering through a thick haze of mist… _The ultimate life form found himself doing what he had seemed to be doing for the duration of his life: wandering._

_Oddly enough, the night-colored hedgehog knew that he was dreaming. Although, why did he have to have ended up in such a place like this? __For what seemed like an eternity, Shadow had been wandering around the desserted fogland._

_Then he stopped walking, sensing a presence before him. __As the mist cleared, Shadow saw that the once concealed figure, was a white bat._

_"Rouge."_

_Shadow approached her, calling her name out and he finally came to a halt when she turned to look at him. __Her demeanor and gaze were impartial. She was his white bat standing their in all her splendor and beauty…_

_…Up until the moment he met her eyes_

_They were the easy color of a handsome, rich wine._

_

* * *

_

Shadow arose out of unconsciousness confused. He rose half-way out of his sleeping pallet to gaze upward in thought. In most cases he could usually analyze his own dreams and make sense of them. But for once, he was at a loss. The ultimate life form sighed and slowly turned over to face the slumbering figure beside him.

He took in the sight of her for a few seconds more before he decided to leave. Shadow exited silently, as to not disturb the female beside him and the rest of the room's occupants. He stepped out into the predawn morning, savoring the still life and the cool, sweet morning air.

Normally, Shadow preferred 'living' during the hours of the night in place of the bright, blaring hours of the day. But for the moment, the predawn atmosphere was acceptable.With a left bound gaze, he also noticed that a familiar red echidna was enjoying the morning just as he was.

In the dark sky, Knuckles' fur was a deep plum and Shadow himself appeared to have become a chameleon as he blended into the atmosphere, "So finally up, huh?"

Although Knuckles' gaze wasn't fixed on him, Shadow nodded his response, "Yes….but soon everyone else should be up."

"At Dawn we go, right?" Knuckles asked.

Shadow removed his gaze from Knuckles and stared into the slumbering horizon, "Of course. So today begins the day of reckoning, our very date with destiny…History regardless, shall be written about this day…the only question is… will time remember us as the victors…"

"How poetic," Knuckles said smirking at him, "Maybe you should coin that phrase and sell it!"

A small silence followed as the two combatants stared off into the sky. And just as silently as he came, he glanced at Knuckles, then entered the workshop in a moment's notice.

* * *

Upon entrance, Shadow realized that there was now life in the workshop as the others were now up and about bustling around the vicinity. Another sensation that the dark hedgehog seemed to pick up with his 'seventh sense' was that the air seemed to be jarred with several emotions all at once: excitement, anxiety, mirth, and fear.

Shadow watched everyone silently from his perch as they passed him by. His red eyes scrolled over everyone occupant in the room until they stopped dead upon the room's only motionless resident, Sonic. The cobalt blue hero was reclined in his favorite couch with his chin cupped in his hand reflectively.

Watching him from another end of the room was a small yellow hedgehog, "…Tails, he's been sitting like that for five minutes now…Is he okay? Is he hurt or something? Looks like he's in deep thought."

Tails blinked, "Nah, don't be too worried about him. …Oh wait, did you say he was thinking? Yep, then we should be concerned."

* * *

Rouge sighed as she swept a hand across her damp face; she had been restless the entire night, drifting in and out of sleep. The huntress sighed as she looked at her reflection in the water basin beside her damp wash towel. There was absolutely no way she was feeling up to carrying out the group's planned assault on Eggman.

As much as she'd love to get that bastard back for everything he's done recently, she couldn't. Dark lashes fluttered over somber, pale blue orbs, "…And now I can't even help my friends defeat him….or bring justice to those who suffered from his hands…"

Rouge slumped to the floor dejectedly as she sighed; it had been only moments ago that she had a painful conversation with one of her most valued friends, Amy Rose. Rouge clenched a tight fist; now she had a decision to make: Either listen to Amy and miss the biggest battle of her life...

...Or try to fight Eggman and potentially have Amy reveal to everyone just what was troubling her.

* * *

_..Flash back...

* * *

_

_It was nearly three-thirty in the morning and the pale bat found that sleep was playing a devious trick upon her. __She couldn't find sleep no matter how hard she tried, and even with her eyes clamped shut tightly and the ever present darkness, sleep still eluded her._

_Finally, once Rouge decided that enough was enough, she rose from her makeshift bed going through all the stops to avoid awaking the ultimate life form, and scuttled into the bathroom. __She glanced at her reflection at least twelve-times over and each time she was graced with a visual of a sweat-caked bat. _

_Just as she stared at her dull-eyed reflection for what seemed like the thousandth time, she was overtaken by vertigo and she wretched. __Just as the toilet flushed, Rouge heard a soft voice outside of the door, "…Rouge? Are you okay?"_

_"A-Amy?" Rouge replied softly, " Yeah, I'm okay…"_

_There was a slight pause, "Can I come in?"_

_In response, Rouge unlocked the door and allowed Amy in. Rouge took a seat on the ledge of the wash tub as Amy leaned against a wall. __With the only source of light in the dark room being the moon, the girl hedgehog was a soft shade of mauve, as her eyes were a deep, dark emerald, "…So what's wrong?"_

_The newly gray colored bat shook her head lightly, " I'm feeling just awful Amy…And…"_

_Amy looked into her deep cobalt eyes and gasped as Rouge mouthed her concern, "Whaaat? Oh Rouge! You're not going to fight Eggman are you?"_

_Rouge nodded her head, " I don't know…we're short already but…"_

_"You couldn't possibly go Rouge! Not in your current condition! And look at you! You're in terrible condition! I won't allow it Rouge."_

_"But this whole situation is bigger than me, and if--"_

_"And if you don't stay here then you're being plain selfish!" Amy glared, "You need to look after yourself, get better, and support us spiritually. I won't hear of anything else."_

_Silently, Amy glared at the bat for a few more seconds before she turned on her heel and left._

_Rouge sighed, "…Oh great, now what am I to do?"_

_

* * *

_

Tails exited a closet and appeared with a navy blue single-strap backpack and a pair of sky blue pilot goggles, "Okay then…Is everyone ready to go?"

"Just a sec!" Cream called.

Making an entrance, the girls strutted into the room by a single file line. They appeared before their audience decked out in complete leather, form-fitting outfits. And they were received warmly, with the list being topped off by whistling and cat-calls.

Sonic smiled, "Nice ladies…Is it my birthday already? Or my bachelor party?"

Tails smiled, "Okay then, now that everyone's here, we can get to work."

From his ceiling, Tails pulled down a map. And with a pointer in hand he spun to face the others, " After spending a great deal of time examining and cross-examining maps, I have found three different entrances to the base. The first entrance takes and aerial route, the second is a path through the Bay Bridge and the third is--?"

Tails paused purposefully and turned to gaze at Scythe. The silver and black hedgehog sucked on his teeth, "The Station Square Train Station."

"Right," Tails nodded his head, "So then, who wants to join me and take the aerial approach?"

"So what about the other routes?" Knuckles asked.

Tails nodded his head, " Good question Knuckles: Now then, let's take the Bay Bridge route for example, that would be the direct approach. Through that path you'd get the whole warfront there and that's most likely be the most difficult place to infiltrate."

"And why would that be?" Cream asked.

"Well, through this course, you're going straight in front of the base and knocking on the front door," Tails explained, " Meanwhile, the route through the Station Sqaure train station leads you inside the base from the aqueducts."

A clear, loud moan arose from the azure hero, "I am _so_ over that place!"

A giggle rose from Daisy as Tails continued, " So then, Bay Bridge entrance: super hard, Station Square train station entrance: very hard and the aerial approach: hard."

" 'Super hard?'" Shadow asked, interest being sparked, " Then I want the Bay Bridge entrance."

Scythe turned to pointedly glare at him, " Damn you. _I _want to go into the eye of the enemy and be the _damn flagship_!"

"No," Knuckles replied, "What you _really _want to do is just release your psycho temper and go headstrong into the eye of the storm; right smack into the center of danger with your guns blaring…Getting a major adrenaline rush…And the big fiery explosions…"

Knuckles' words trailed off as all the guys in the room looked off wistfully into the sky. Shadow, Sonic, Knuckles, Tails and Scythe almost romantically daydreamed about Knuckles' last statement.

"…Taking names and kicking ass…" Sonic whispered dreamily.

"The explosions…" Shadow whispered.

"…And all the fire and carnage," Scythe said thoughtfully.

"…Boys…" Amy sighed haplessly.

Knuckles shook his head, returning to the present, "Yeah… so anyways, I'll go with Shadow."

Everyone turned to look at him inquisitively, "…Bad idea…"

"No, not necessarily," Tails replied, " According to the recent drills, Shadow and Knuckles perform well together,"

Shadow and Knuckles exchanged looks that had some semblance of benevolence.

"Okay," Tails said, " So that marks Shadow and Knuckles off. And now we shall NOT be accepting anymore applications for the Bay Bridge spot."

Scythe crossed his arms and lowered his head, " Dammit!"

"Buuuut," Tails said raising an index finger, " We are now opening the floor to the Station Square train station entrance."

Scythe slammed his hands onto the table, " Put me down for that mission!"

Tails obeyed and looked up at Sonic as soon as he heard his voice, " Well, I guess if that place has action, I'll be there too."

"And that means both Amy and I will be flyin' high in the sky!" Tails said exchanging smiles with the rose hedgehog.

Sonic frowned, " I dunno Tails, I'm not too keen on letting you and Ames take on Eggman's goonies by yourselves. Stats show that you two have the lowest combat abilities.

Tails frowned, '_Holy cow! Did Sonic just actually think and use facts to make a point? …Gosh, I hope this isn't a sign that things are gonna go bad for us…_'

But then Tails smiled, remembering his ace in the hole, "Well, it'll be okay, because Rouge will be coming with us."

"Um…"

All eyes fell upon the huntress. While gazing at the crowd, Rouge noticed a particularly intense gaze from the emerald eyes of the pink hedgehog. If Rouge didn't know any better, she'd think that the pink hedgehog was ready to murder her. Rouge gulped, suddenly becoming ten times more bashful.

"I won't be going…"

For the whole, a wave of surprise took the audience's faces, "Why?"

"Well," Rouge smiled; rationalizing and thinking on the spot was one of her strong suits, "Someone has to stay here and protect our cute little Cream and our adorable Daisy."

"…I guess," Sonic said looking skyward.

"Are you sure Rouge?" Daisy asked, "We'll be fine. You have to go and fight!"

Rouge shook her head, " Sorry, can't do that ladies."

Tikal stepped forward, after watching and listening to all that had happened, she decided to speak, "I shall be Tails' and Amy's third companion. And I shall not hear otherwise."

She glanced at everyone then continued with her eyes closed, "...And if there is a problem with the status of our group, just remember that I can both strike and mend."

Knuckles smiled; Tikal had gone through such an amazing transformation as of recently, " Yeah, she's overqualified for the job with all of her guardian training."

"Well, I'm convinced," Sonic said crossing his arms.

"…And very easily at that," Shadow replied.

"And just what ARE you saying?"

"…Isn't it pretty forward of what I'm insinuating?"

"…Insinu-what?"

As the two hedgehogs argued, Tikal smiled warmly at Knuckles. She seemed to have been thanking him with her smile. In response Knuckles winked, flustering the princess greatly.

"As much as I'd love to join this fight," Scythe said, to both of the hedgehogs, " We're short on time."

"Final call!" Tails yelled, " It's time to get ready!"

Once everyone scattered, heading their different ways, Shadow approached Rouge who seemed to be low in spirits, " What's wrong?"

" 'What's wrong?'" Rouge laughed, " Nuh-nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?"

"What, you mean with you pulling out and everything? Earlier you were bouncing off the walls when the thought of fighting Eggman came to play," Shadow smirked, " If you're going to lie…You're obviously going to have to come with it better than that."

"Shadow…I've taken your words to heart," Rouge clutched the ultimate life form's hands, "I understand how much you need me…and I'm not going to risk it by going out. I'm staying here."

At once, the skeptical frown was replaced by a surprised expression upon Shadow's face, "…Oh really now?"

"Mmm-hmm!"

Slowly the couple meandered out of the workshop. This was a surprising change; in fact, if Shadow had known better, he would have thought that Rouge was hiding something from him... Nah...

* * *

Shadow and Rouge joined the others outside who were saying their goodbyes. It looked like it was time to part ways and head out to conquer the big adventure that lay ahead of them. This was what being a hero was albout.

"Bye Mister Sonic, Knuckles, Shadow and bye Miss Amy, and Tikal and oh! Tails, I have something for you!" Cream ran inside of the workshop as Tails waited happily.

Cream returned before the fox with a matching, sky-blue scarf, " This matches your goggles…and your eyes."

Tails beamed genuinely, " Why thank you Cream! …Did you make this yourself?"

Cream nodded her head, " Uh-huh!"

"Thanks, it's awesome!" Tails took the scarf from her hands and wrapped it around his neck.

Sonic smiled, "Well, doesn't someone look suave!"

Cream smiled then ran over and bear-hugged Scythe who looked utterly appalled by such an action. Daisy laughed loudly; as long as he lived, she would never let him live that one down!

* * *

Rouge had just finished talking with Sonic when she turned to see a red stranger behind her, " Knuckles…you take care of yourself. You'll always be special to me."

She wrapped him in a tight hug. Then she pulled away slightly to see a black and crimson hedgehog beside her. His expression was cool, as if he couldn't decide how to intervene. Rouge laughed then embraced him with a deep passionate kiss, "…And you mister…You stay safe 'cause I'm the only one who gets to touch you."

Smirking, Shadow looked at Knuckles, "She wants me."

"No kidding."

* * *

It seemed as if everyone was preparing to go; Tails, and Amy were strapped in tight in the newly painted Tornado. The brand spankin' new red coat gave the airplane a daring, adventurous edge. After waving and shouting their good byes, the purring of the airplane engine signified that they were ready to go.

Tails fit his goggles snuggly over his eyes, and looked in his mirror and the pink hedgehog, " Ready?"

"Yeah!" Amy screamed her answer and gave a thumbs-up.

With that, Tails nodded, set his sights forward and began to operate the Tornado. Within seconds, they took off, tearing through the sky. Tikal closed her eyes and with a silent chant, she transformed into an orb of light and followed them, leaving behind sparks and shimmers of light.

Sonic watched the fire engine-red airplane until it disappeared from sight, he then turned and smile at the others, "Well, it looks like it's our turn."

Sonic looked at Scythe, then at the grassy-green emerald in his palms. With the Chaos emerald in his hand, Sonic chanted, " Chaos control! Location: Station Square train station!"

"Scythe!"

Scythe tore his stern gaze away from the path dead ahead of him and looked upon a running yellow hedgehog. She ran up to him just as he was being to disintegrate. She looked at him as she panted, drinking in oxygen, "… I didn't say goodbye yet…"

"Well, then say--!"

Daisy grabbed him by the back of his head and forced him into a wet, sloppy hard kiss. She pulled away blushing and panting even harder. Before he disappeared, an obvious façade of shock was washed upon his face. Knuckles and Shadow laughed as Rouge whistled, "Did you see that look upon his face?"

"I think he _liked it_!"

"The look upon his face was worth this entire situation," Shadow said with a smug smile.

Rouge laughed, then turned to face both him and Knuckles, "You two take care."

Knuckles smiled, " Likewise Rouge."

Shadow stared at the white bat deeply for a few seconds before he paced over to her, dipped her backwards him his arms and possessed her lips. When Rouge finally found her senses, and realized just what was going on, Shadow released her, and approached a smirking Knuckles. With the chant of two words, both of the warriors were gone.

Smirking, Daisy looked at Rouge. Giggling the huntress licked her lips, "…Damn he's delicious!"

_

* * *

_

Venturing out into the deep yonder, the Tornado cut through the brilliant topaz sky. It seemed as if the sun was just beginning to set in. The Tornado performed barrel-rolls and loops as he sliced through the flurry of clouds. Tails smiled as he heard Amy scream with delight again, "Hey Tails, it felt like I was gonna fall out that time!"

"…Okay, someone's an adrenaline junkie…" Tails replied, chuckling to himself.

Tails looked to his left as his scarf trailed behind him in the golden sky, "Hey Tikal, how are ya?"

"_Fine_," the ball of light replied, " _It appears that Amy is enjoying herself much too often_!"

Tails laughed, "Tell me about it! She's still laughing!"

"_Look, we approach the base…perhaps it'd be best for you to ready your weapons_."

Tails looked over the side of the plane; sure enough, Eggman's ostentatious base sat miles from them. Amy's giggles came to a stop as she finally followed Tails' suit, "Look! Eggman's base! Isn't that thing awesome?"

As the two of them gazed at the Sahara base, the radio tweaked with static, "…_This is the blue machine…I repeat, this is the blue machine…do you copy young maverick?" _

Tails smirked; his nickname was _too_ cool, "Yep, we're approaching blue. How about you guys?"

_"We're fightin' already, you guys get ready. Something tells me they know that we're here!" _

Amy blinked, " They know we're here?"

Tails gazed toward the Sahara base to see flying metal robots starting to make a beeline for them. Glancing lower, he saw that cannons were being prepared. Oh yeah, the badguys knew they were here allright.

"Amy," Tails began in a lower voice, "Get ready."

Amy gulped, but shook her head vigorously, "O-okay…"

Almost as soon as Tails had given Amy the warning, bullets rained through the air, sparking in the sun's light. Amy gasped as Tails clutched the Tornado's yolk tightly and gritted his teeth.

"If that's how they wanna play it," Tails said pressing buttons, "then we'll play rough too!"

Tails forced the Tornado into a suicidal nosedive as he showered mass after mass of bullets into the face of his foes. Explosions ignited in the golden sky and the Tornado performed evasive loop after loop in the sky.

The air was filled with the loud booms from the explosions blossoming all around the Tornado.And in the midst of all the fire, the sound of Tails' furious cry and Amy shriek could be heard.

_

* * *

_

In a flare of green light, both hedgehogs found themselves knee-deep in the liquids of the aqueducts. Sonic moaned, as the dark hedgehog gazed around him surroundings.

Sonic frowned, "I really don't like this place…"

"This place can royally kiss my--"

Scythe paused mid-sentence as he thought to have heard a soft noise. He glanced over at Sonic who returned his suspicious gaze. Good, that meant that he had heard the sound as well. Both hedgehogs quickly dropped to their knees, with the water nearly lapping their stomachs.

Scythe switched his vision sequence to heat vision. Immediately his eyes flared a bright scarlet. With his new vision, the blue hedgehog beside him burst into a rainbow of colors. Then, looking in the direction of the strange noises, Scythe picked up a few more blotches of color.

Peering at them from around a corner were some of Eggman's more advanced machinery. Apparently the idiots thought they were well camouflaged against the darkness of the pipes.

Scythe snarled, " Peh, look, Eggman's goonies at four o'clock."

Sonic turned to look in the direction Scythe had prescribed. For a second he didn't doubt that the cyborg had picked up something. But with his own two eyes, he was useless in the darkness. He would have to rely on the countability of his comrade. And when it came to war, Sonic had the ultimate trust in Scythe; it was what the guy was built for.

"…You're gonna hafta be my eyes Scythe," Sonic whispered, "Do they see us?"

"…Yeah."

"Both of us."

"No, only me."

"Now where are they again?" Sonic asked, eyes flashing.

"…There's two groups of them, the smaller group is at six o'clock and…the larger group at four."

"…I can't see them," Sonic replied, so I'll take the smaller group at six o'clock."

Without a second thought, Sonic spin-dashed into the smaller group of machines as Scythe plowed into the other group. Just as they began to start clearing the numbers of droids away, Scythe turned to see another legion of robots revving to go. With a vicious roar, Scythe disregarded a broken android and drove at the new soldiers.

_

* * *

_

The Sahara dessert was a smoldering wasteland. The great heat scorched and baked even the pale sand that it housed. The heat was so great that it seemed as if the sun itself decided to make the dessert its great throne room. Staring Eggman's base directly in the eye were two figures. The first was the midnight-colored hedgehog who was streaked with red markings.

His red-eyed gaze was set firmly upon the golden pyramid. The next figure beside him was the bright red guardian of the Master Emerald. The fury he was stewing within himself was as clear as day in his eyes.

They both slowly walked toward the base ignoring the stray bullets and attacks that missed them. Some cannonballs even landed in the sand beside them. Momentarily they both gazed at the sky to see a spiraling, red airplane cutting through the sky masterfully. The plane plagued all of its adversaries with stream after stream of bullets.

Knuckles smirked, "…That's pretty badass…"

They turned their attention to the assembled metal army before them. Standing about a couple of hundreds of yards away was an entire metal army. The mass of soldiers seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. The number of soldiers seemed almost endless.

Knuckles smirked, looking at the hedgehog beside him, "…Fools, they do not know what they are up against…Perhaps you could show them a little of our hospitality?--"

Shadow clenched his fists and levitated as a deep crimson aura surrounded him. When he opened his eyes, his irises were glowing red, "_Chaos…_"

_

* * *

_

Rouge sighed lightly as she swiftly filed through Tails' videotape collection. The girls had decided to pass the time, instead of being nervous and anxious, by watching a sappy love story. The two girls were in the other room waiting; Cream and Daisy were suffering from a sweet tooth, so they decided to bake cookies together, and on the side make a couple of mugs of hot chocolate.

Rouge didn't contest this in the least; she was sort of hungry anyway. After milling through the tapes for what seemed like forever, Rouge plucked out a tape and smiled at it happily. Just as she started on her way to the TV room she saw an overturned vase.

Rouge frowned; those girls knew to clean up after themselves! She set the vase correctly and continued on her path. The further she walked, Rouge noticed that more things were out of place like the broken jars and ripped pillows.

...The entire hallway was a mess! Red flags were raised mentally and Rouge tore through the workshop. She dropped the tape as she felt a steel hand grip her neck.

"!" Rouge gasped and struggled in its vice-like grip.

Luckily to Rouge's liking, beside her foot was a metal toolbox. With her foot, Rouge propped up the box, kicked it into her right hand and whacked her captor hard. The android released its grip momentarily as Rouge was able to turnaround and high-kick the robot into an open doorway. Immediately Rouge locked the door.

She nimbly opened Tails' toolbox and retrieved a rather unwieldy wrench. She slowly crept around the workshop until she entered the TV room. The sight caused her to grasp. The room was askew with the furniture and the rest of the room's contents were overturned and destroyed. This was evidence enough that a struggle had taken place.

Lying on the ground unconscious was Daisy. In the torso of her suit was an ugly dark scorch mark. Rouge slowly elevated her eyes to see that Cream was struggling in the grasp of none other than Eggman.

He was smiling maliciously at the white bat, obliviously knowing that he had the upper hand in the situation. In one hand he held the small rabbit by her neck, and in the other he held what looked to be a napalm gun.

…And it was still smoking.

If possible, Eggman's smiled darkened,"…Am I to assume correctly that there will be no objections against an arrangement?"

* * *

To be continued!

Chapter Twenty four Theme_: "Till I collapse"- _Eminem


	25. A binding sacrifice

**_UlTrRa_** **_SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: _**

**_LoVe'S_** **_bUrN _**

_By: UlTrAa ShAdDow _

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did! _

_-Yeah, and as we all know, our **perfect**, **role**-**model ,clean-mouthed** Scythe is a wee bit ornery (More than usual) in this chapter… _

"_You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

_

* * *

_

_Third POV…._

* * *

Dawn was just beginning to rise upon the Sahara and already it had become a Warfield; dull, black smoke rose in wafts from twisted, robotic remains, fire was littered within the pale sands carelessly, and explosions blossomed within the sky.

Even the sky of the Sahara dessert was a blood rush; legions of flying androids fired round after round of bullets and missiles at a single red aircraft. The tornado was the only prime target for the opposing aircrafts.

And to make things worse, it seemed like every ten hovercrafts the Tornado destroyed, fifty more would pop-up in their place.

With the enemies appearing out of nowhere, the Tornado was forced into defensive measures a whole lot more than needed. Amy whipped her head around to face Tails, "Tails! We're seriously outnumbered! These guys just keep coming!"

Tails gazed at the different gauges and status bars in the airplane; almost half of the tank had been drained, the Tornado had already sustained thirty-nine percent damage. And with a glance at the front of the plane, it looked as if the engine was smoking.

He bared his teeth at such a thought; their situation wasn't bleak, it was fatal. The young fox was stiffly rattled from his thoughts when he felt the side of the Tornado being ladled with bullets.

Amy looked at the side of the plane with green eyes five shades paler, and the pink twinkling ball of light appeared beside him, "_Tails? Our mission is not going successfully! The Tornado has compiled too much damage!" _

And although Amy spoke softly, Tails managed to catch her words, and her crushed tone, "…Maybe we aren't cut out for this…"

At the sound of Amy's broken words, a sudden burning flare pulsed through the young fox's veins.Tails narrowed his eyes; as the pilot of the Tornado, it was his job to get his party safely to Eggman's Sahara Base. He had no doubt that Sonic and Shadow's teams would make it through the hazardous warpath. But do they reciprocate his feelings about his team?

He knew the truth! He could even see the skepticism in their eyes when he first mentioned Amy and himself being a team. Although the cynicism was apparent on the faces of some of the bolder characters like Sonic and Scythe, it was well-masked on the faces of others, like a wearily smiling Rouge, or an up-turned eyebrow from Knuckles.

Tails turned to look at Amy who looked morbidly defeated, possibly because she was envisioning her gruesome death, and Tikal, the floating light beside him was prattling off, feeding him with helpful tidbits of encouragement.

It was as if he was hearing everything at once, the roaring explosions, the metallic pangs of bullets lining the sides of the Tornado, Tikal's helpful, but anxious words, and Amy's screaming.

The young fox closed his eyes, and it seemed almost as if time had stopped itself; there was nothing but dead silence. Tails was able to emerge himself within his own thoughts, and those of the outside world were locked away.

Finally, when the silence seemed to be building, Tails heard a single thought within his head. It was his voice, '_I can do this. I'm going to lead Amy and Tikal to the base. I'm going to prove everyone wrong_.'

Once Tails opened his eyes, a surge of new strength flowed through him. He tightened his scarf slightly, then set a determined, blue-eyed gaze before him, "Hang on Amy, Tikal, I'm gonna pull us through."

With that declaration, Tails began to maneuver and handle the Tornado like a pro, sharp turns and rolls were executed within a moment's notice, and anything flying before him was sniped out of the sky with deadly prejudice.

Now, Tikal found herself struggling to follow the young fox's trends. Amy looked back to see the glowing pink ball on their tail, then she turned forward to see the grand, obsidian-hued base.

A flash of hope appeared upon Amy's face, "Look, there's the base! We're only a few miles from it!"

Tails smiled; so he had done it. He had led his team to the base successfully. Just as Tails had turned around to speak with a cheerful Amy, Tikal shot up beside Tails, blinking furiously, "_Tails!_ _Tails!" _

Smiling, Tails turned to look at her, "What is it?"

"_You must move! For a miss--" _

The sky abruptly turned bright. Both Tails and Amy turned around just in time to see an approaching missile hit them dead on.

* * *

Truth be told, infiltrating the aqueducts had been a royal pain. Droids popped up, fists flew, and they were destroyed…then they reappeared again.

And the worst part was that most of the androids were laughably easy to defeat, but only because of sheer number, one every now and then got lucky and scored a hit against Sonic or Scythe. And the sad thing was that these lucky little cheap shots were slowly starting to take their tolls.

Sonic finished spin-dashing through the halves of one android only to be met with a crowd of twenty more glowing, lifeless eyes. After ducking and dodging multiple blows and attacks, one venom-green laser grazed his leg. With a painful flop, Sonic hit the ground with a splash. Immediately he found himself on the wrong side of a twenty-on-one jumping.

He was able to catch glimpses of the dark and silver hedgehog going medieval on a group of robots, but he himself wasn't even able to call out for help. Every time Sonic tried to open his mouth and usher out words, a robotic fist or boot would silence him.

As his blue comrade was getting jumped, Scythe unleashed a barrage of attacks upon his opposers; honestly, they had no idea what they were up against. No one was safe from the cyborg hedgehog's fury, and the only person exempt from such a beating was the only other organic creature in the room.

With his left mechanically enhanced arm, Scythe swung a powerful fist that literally crunched in one of the android's face. He picked up the crumbly-faced android and swung it into the crowd behind him. At the sight of the toppling androids, Scythe laughed, "Dominoes! I win. Top _that_, Blue!"

With a vicious smile present, Scythe turned to scoff at the blue hedgehog. His smile disappeared when he saw a crowd of Eggman's droids punching and kicking a single blue form vigorously. To say that Sonic was getting jumped was an understatement. The blue hero was having his teeth pulled out and served to him on a platter.

The very sight of this sent Scythe into a spiral of rage, "…Why, _sonovabitch_!"

The azure hedgehog felt himself beginning to loose conscious. The beating was getting so bad that he was becoming numb. By now he had lost all strength to defend himself from the onslaught.

…And all this was started by a skimpy little blow to the knee.

Left and right, the robotic drones were thrown in a flurry of rage. The multiple fists that attacked Sonic any and everywhere were beginning to disappear. Clinks and klanks sounded as broken metal pieces landed beside Sonic.

Slowly, Sonic wasable to rise to his feet to see Scythe demolish the last of his attackers. The black and silver hedgehog held out a trembling hand. Within his curled fingers were jolts of silver streaks of energy. Scythe grinned terribly as he glared at the last robot, "…And you get the house special…Raging Lance!"

Scythe uncurled his trembling fingers and released the energy at the last android. The attack hit the android and it exploded instantly, flaring into a pillow of red and orange fire.

Finally, once Scythe saw that the last threat was gone, he turned to look at Sonic, who was slowly helping himself to his feet, "…You okay Blue-boy?

"Yeah, and thanks," Sonic said approaching Scythe, he had resided into crossing his arms over his chest, "…We better get outta here before the reinforcements come."

An odd expression crossed Scythe's face, one that looked unusually un-hostile, "How do you think the others are doing?"

"I dunno," Sonic shrugged, suddenly becoming serious, "We lost radio contact with them awhile ago. I hope they're okay."

Sonic wiped his lip and frowned at the sight of blood, "_Damn_! These guys really did a number on me!"

Scythe smirked roguishly, "Wait until you see your face, but we better haul ass outta here quick. More robo-hobos are coming."

Sonic groaned, "…Good, let's get outta here…I hate, hate, _hate_ water! And besides… water makes my fur all wet and destroys my coat's natural sheen!"

"…Ah shut up, pretty boy!"

* * *

The journey in one of Eggman's many flagships, despite the air conditioning, had been hellacious. Rouge knew the day was already going to be a bad when she saw the doctor within the confines of Tails' living room holding Cream to gunpoint.

Not to mention the fact that the yellow hedgehog had testified that the insane doctor had shot her point-blank with a very painful, electrical gun. Rouge thought, with much disdain, that the sick doctor had probably intentionally put a wicked amount of electricity in the gun so that it'd have a potent kick.

But the only good thing out of this was that Rouge had vomited in her cell in just about everyplace possible, and when the doctor came, claiming that she was faking, she had got him pretty good too. So now Eggman sat around with an old, but rinsed puke stain on his shirt.

Now, Rouge sat in a small cell adjacent from Daisy, who curled one of her short pigtails absently around her index finger. And Cream lay asleep on a portion of Daisy's stomach.

Rouge sluggishly turned opaque blue eyes to Eggman who entered the room. He stopped before their cell, making sure to distance himself far enough to prevent Rouge from spraying all over him, if she decided to try such a stunt again, "Good news girls, we are only moments from my base. I expect to land in no later than five minutes."

The huntress glared at him silently as did Daisy, who subconsciously rubbed the scorch mark upon her leather outfit, "So tell me Rouge, where is your boyfriend? By now they must know that I have the Master Emerald. Are they at my base, perhaps?"

The treasure huntress stared at him with half-lidded eyes, mainly because of how ill she was feeling, "You're so stupid."

Eggman's smile disappeared, "What?"

"Why does it even matter if you have the Master Emerald," Rouge smiled, "You can't use it anyway."

Eggman's dark frown was replaced by an intrigued façade, "And why is that?"

Rouge smiled, "Now why would I tell you that, Doc? We're not friends anymore."

It was the doctor's turn to smile, "We never were. So tell me, why can I not use the power of the Emerald? Why is it completely ebony?"

"…And now, not even Knuckles is on your side, hoo-hum," Rouge replied, deterring from his question, "Perhaps you shouldn't backstab people. You have a nasty habit of that, Doc."

"And yet again, I ask, why doesn't the Master Emerald work?" Eggman asked, brandishing a gun Daisy instantly recognized, "I will not ask again, I'll just start shooting, and I believe your yellow friend likes the taste of this gun."

Daisy's eyes widened in fear as Rouge sighed, "Because Tikal cut off the power source. And now, only she and Knuckles can reactivate its power."

A bewildered look flashed across Daisy's face that alleged Rouge had spoken too much. But of course Eggman caught the look upon her face before it disappeared, "…I see…well then, I guess I won't have to shoot you…but…"

Eggman turned away from Rouge and blasted the yellow hedgehog with a crackling ball of white-hot energy. Daisy shrieked as she was slammed into the wall brutally. Cream awoke urgently, having picked up the violent noise.

The shot had hit her on her left shoulder, leaving another scorch mark on her suit. Daisy cried out in pain as she cradled her shoulder, allowing tears to flow down her face. Rouge fell to her side comforting the teary girl.

Cream blinked, looking at both of the girls wide-eyed. Rouge looked at Eggman and snarled, "You jerk!"

"That was for being so flippant with me," the Doctor smiled as he ignored Daisy's shrill screams, "Next time, when I ask you a question, you answer me properly!"

With that, Eggman turned and exited the room. Daisy sniffled as Rouge rubbed her head thoughtfully. The white bat stared at the golden hedgehog below her; Eggman was going to get a very rude awakening when he arrived at his base.

"…Rouge…" Daisy gasped, tears trailing down her face, "I…I think you told him too much…"

"Just rest," Rouge replied softly, "He knows just enough so he can treat you guys with some sort of civility."

"Civility?" Daisy replied in a cold, metallic tone, "I just got electrocuted…"

Rouge sighed, "He'll get his soon enough…I won't let him hurt you again, I'm sorry…"

The hissing of the automatic door could be heard as Eggman reentered the room. He was smiling viciously, "…Ladies, we're home. And apparently we have guests. I think we should greet them, it would only be polite."

* * *

Sure enough, just as Knuckles and Shadow had been tearing through foe, after foe, after foe, they caught sight of a large conflagration in the sky. They dodged a rather large missile sent at them by one of the land tanks and the missile, the very same missile they had avoided, launched the explosion of the red airplane in the sky.

Knuckles watched the explosion with a gaped mouth and Shadow stood froze, as if someone had pressed the paused button on him. The plane was shredded into tiny red particles. They rained into the desert softly, "Tails…Amy… Tikal…"

A moment of silence followed between the two as they let the reality of the scene sink in. They had saw what they saw. Knuckles dropped his gaze, and talked barely louder than a whisper, "…They're gone…we couldn't help them…"

Shadow shook his head, speaking softly to himself, "They should have never been out here..."

Knuckles turned to glare at Shadow insidiously, "What are you talking about? We could have easily stopped that missile! Don't blame them, you icy bastard!"

Shadow snarled at him dangerously, "I dare you to call me that again, edchina."

"Gladly," Knuckles growled, "You don't feel anything, you stone-cold, bastard!"

Shadow narrowed his eyes, "As much as I'd love to take a side mission right now and kick your ass, I'm in the middle of something bigger."

Now it was Knuckles' turn to snarl venomously, "Right, and we'll just forget all about those three!"

Shadow turned to look at Knuckles with smoldering eyes, "You should really watch what you say, it may not be good for your health!"

"That's it, Eggman can wait!" Knuckles barked, pointing a finger at Shadow, "We'll settle this right here! Right now!"

Knuckles drew an offensive position, looking as if he was ready to box, but Shadow hadn't moved from his previous position. He just stared at the red echidna with chilling, red eyes.

"No," Shadow deadpanned, "In their memory, I will carry out their mission and finish off Eggman."

"What in the hell does Rouge see in you," Knuckles replied in a deep growl, "Even the day I returned to Tails' workshop, I still couldn't even steal a kiss from her…Have you brainwashed her or something? Probably used some of those stupid chaos powers on her."

"What…" A fiery, black aura sparked around Shadow. He was baring his fangs at Knuckles, "In. The. HELL. Did. You. Just. Say?"

Just as Shadow started an aggressive stroll towards the red warrior, the echidna was hit with a thought as he picked up a faint chakra, '_Knuckles help us! Please hear me! I can't hold the others any longer!' _

" Tikal?" Knuckles asked out loud. He began to have head-splitting pain as he dropped to his knees and grabbed his throbbing head. He suddenly saw a grainy image of Tikal floating, with her eyes closed, holding up some sort of yellow barrier around a fainted fox and hedgehog.

"So now you don't want to fight?" Shadow scoffed.

"They're alive," Knuckles said, grimacing, trying to ignore the great pain swirling in his head.

"What was that echidna, you need to speak up!"

"THEY'RE ALIVE DAMMIT!" Knuckles shouted, pointing skyward.

Once the pain vanished, Knuckles joined Shadow and looked skyward. Sure enough, just as Knuckles' vision had promised, the sight of a glowing yellow barrier was present.Tikal appeared to be in a meditative state with her eyes closed and her palms elevated, but she was really controlling the amber barrier.

Just as they glanced up at the floating echidna monarch, the barrier faded, and Tikal, as well as Tails and Amy began to fall from the sky limply. Startled, both Knuckles and Shadow went underneath the plummeting figures. Knuckles went and caught Tikal as Shadow, was fast enough to catch Tails and then zip over and catch Amy.

Knuckles gently laid Tikal on the sand as Shadow gazed toward the base. The front, ascending steps were within sight. Shadow grimaced; they were so close. They had to make it in there!

"Echidna!" Shadow called.

Knuckles narrowed his eyes, "What?"

"Pick her up and let's go!"

Knuckles heaved Tikal over his shoulders as Shadow picked up Tails. Before the dark hedgehog could pick up Amy, Knuckles picked her up bridal style and sneered at him, "I'll do it, you're too weak."

But Knuckles didn't run off without receiving a nasty glare from Shadow, "Whatever. Just don't hold me up!"

Shadow took off toward the base with Knuckles in tow. More drones filled out from the front doors as rows of androids filled out of the base. Shadow snarled, seeing the once empty, front steps littered with enemies, "Ridiculous!"

Knuckles stopped behind Shadow, "…What were we thinking? Trying to actually get into the front door?"

Just as Shadow and Knuckles ridded themselves of the extra weight, and geared themselves for battle, a ripple of blue light struck, "Sonic Wind, baby!"

"Raging Lance!"

Blue and gray light ripped through a pile of guard drones. As the attacks continued flying and blowing up enemies, the huge stack of androids was slowly being cut down. Shadow and Knuckles nodded to each other and manually began to shred the enemies with their fists, and with the combination of power between the four soldiers, the offending drones were good and dead.

Shadow and Knuckles gazed at the top of the steps to see both Sonic and Scythe casually posed at the top. Sonic, although a little bruised still managed to sport a toothy grin with his arms akimbo. And Scythe, who was slightly war-worn, had his back to them, but looked over his shoulder at them.

"So you made it, huh?" Sonic asked his arrogant smiling softening.

"Yeah," Shadow nodded his head, "And so did they."

Both he and Knuckles went to pick up the others until they heard a slight moan. Tails groggily opened his eyes, "Oh man, my head is spinning…"

Sonic smiled, "Tails! It's good to see you're okay!"

Tails smiled, "I'm fine Sonic, didn't I tell you we'd make it?"

Sonic grinned, "You sure did!"

"Ooh," Amy moaned, she slowly sat up and gazed up the stairs groggily until she recognized a lone figure, "…SONIC!"

" Ames," Sonic started unsurely, "…You're…okay!"

"Sonic! I knew you'd make it!" Amy ran up the stairs with open arms…until she fell flat on her face, "…Ouch…"

Sympathetically, Sonic went down the stairs to help her help, "…Easy there…"

Knuckles took a knee beside Tikal and shook her lightly until he met bright aquamarine eyes, "Knuckles…"

The red echidna smiled at her softly, she blinked, "…Am…Am I dreaming?"

Knuckles laughed, "No, you're not…but do you really dream about me?"

Tikal's face exploded into a shade of rose, and she quickly rose to her feet, "W-we should really get going!"

And with that Tikal more than flew up the stairs to stand behind Amy and Sonic. Tails flew up the stairs to be beside his best friend. Just as Shadow was on his way up the stairs, he felt someone tap his shoulder. As he turned to look behind him, he caught a glimpse of crimson walking past him on the steps. With an arch smirk, Shadow turned to look at Knuckles, "Cute."

"So are we straight?" Knuckles asked looking back at Shadow.

"…" Shadow appeared as if he was thinking and Knuckles frowned, "Oh give me a break!"

Shadow smirked, "Sure…as long as you don't have a melt-down again."

"I didn't have a melt-down; you were the one who froze, like this."

Knuckles stepped climbing up the stairs and paused mid-step with a dumb look on his face. Sonic, Amy, and Tails laughed. Shadow harrumphed as he pushed past the frozen echidna, Scythe snickered as he looked at the other black hedgehog, "…He just made you look dumb."

Shadow raised both eyebrows, "Oh? Well you don't need anyone to make you look foolish; your face does it for you."

Huffily, Shadow entered the base, being flanked by the others. Sonic looked at Scythe with a slick expression, in response, Scythe glared, "…What?"

"He totally got you!"

"…Bite the ass…"

* * *

"…It's cold in here," Cream murmured, as she wrapped her arms around her knees.

Both Daisy and Cream had been placed inside of a steel cage. It was only large even to hold a single tiger, so both girls were sitting.

"Don't worry," Daisy said happily, whispering to Cream, "The others will be here soon…Scythe and the others will save the day!"

"Mister Scythe?" Cream exclaimed happily, "And Mister Sonic, Shadow, Tails, Knuckles, and Miss Amy and Tikal?"

Daisy smiled, "Yeah, you got everyone…but yes, so they shall!"

She pumped a victorious fist in the air only to hit the top of the cage, "Owwie!"

Daisy frowned as she glared at the top of the cage, "…This is inhuman…Why if I ever got my hands on that Eggman character, I'd--"

She began swinging and throwing sloppy punches at the air until Cream interrupted her.

"Miss Daisy?" Cream asked.

"Eh?" Daisy looked down at the smaller rabbit beside her, "What is it?"

"Where's Miss Rouge? Why hasn't she been with us?"

"Well, that's something I—"

Daisy paused mid-sentence as she heard an automatic door slide open. Eggman entered the room, holding an all too familiar gun in both hands. The infamous scientist was followed by Rouge, whose face was void of any emotion.

Eggman halted as he turned to Rouge, "I suppose you know what this is?"

He motioned to a device waiting behind him. Rouge gazed at it blankly, "This, as you know already bat girl, is the Phantasm. As I said already, we want to give our guests the biggest homecoming gift. Step inside."

"And if I refuse?" Rouge knew what it'd come to, but she just wanted to show Eggman that she wasn't going out quietly.

Eggman smiled, "Well…I'll just reacquaint the yellow hedgehog with this gun again. She has such a lovely scream after all."

Daisy whimpered and backed away from the edge of the cage. For a moment, when Rouge watched her, a flicker of emotion passed over her glazed features. Silently, Rouge stepped into the Phantasm, the same machine that Shadow had been in months ago.

When he had become that soulless, cold monster with a gaze that was both searing and icy at the same time. The same crack he had created in the fiberglass window was still present.

Rouge closed her eyes, '…_So, I'm gonna be turned into a monster…And there's absolutely nothing I can do about it…If I refuse, Eggman will torture them mercilessly…At least I did my last deed as a hero and not a thief…_'

When Rouge opened her eyes, she gazed upon Eggman who was clicking multiple buttons. The only noise Rouge could hear was the winding of the machine. The thick fiberglass around the core of the machine made it impossible to hear anywhere outside of the capsule. Within seconds, thick, purple clouds rose.

Rouge inhaled sharply; so this was it. The end. Unhappily, Rouge looked up at Daisy and Cream. The little rabbit was sad, with her eyes teary, she probably didn't understand what the machine was going to do to the huntress, but she knew enough to know that the machine was bad.

And Daisy was screaming wordlessly, extending her hand at Rouge. Her caramel-colored eyes were squinted and streaming with tears for the second time today.

The purple smog rose in the machine and Rouge felt herself becoming dizzy and weak. She collapsed to the floor breathing heavily as her crystal blue irises were being slowly drained of color. Images of her life flashed before her eyes in milliseconds, as if someone had been fast-forwarding her life before her eyes.

The faces of people she once knew soon became further and further distant from her as they became strangers, even the silently screaming yellow hedgehog and the little rabbit became unknown faces. The last face she saw, which belonged to a black hedgehog with an amazing smile, was buried deep within the frames of her memory.

"…Shadow…" the now gray-eyed Rouge whispered.

The purple smog encircled her as she fell in unconsciousness, with a perfectly blank mind.

* * *

To be continued! 

Chapter Twenty fiveTheme_: "I don't want to cry"- _Mariah Carey


	26. The Rise of a new Empire

_**UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

_**LoVe'S bUrN **_

_By: UlTrAa ShAdDow _

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did! _

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

_

* * *

_

_Shadow's POV…._

* * *

The first phase of our plan was completed. We had finally infiltrated Eggman's base successfully. 

"I said we're going left!"

Successfully in the sense that we hadn't lost any members of our little resistance group.

"Dude, your mother! I say we go RIGHT!"

Somehow, the seven of us had defeated a legion of the Doctor's drones and made it into the base relatively unharmed. Although some of us walked into the base unscathed. And I'm speaking of myself here.

"LEFT!"

"RIGHT!"

"I said left you idiot! I'm the one with a visual map in my head!"

"…METAL BRAIN!"

…But here we stand, waiting directly in the middle of the base's foyer arguing about _what _direction in the fork to take. Faker and the half robotic freak look as if their about to get into one of their heated battles. In wanted no part in their battle; it was simply foolish.

"Will you _both_ shut up?" the echidna hissed, "I thought Eggman's robots made it _very_ clear that we're not welcomed here!"

"True," the fox nodded his head, always playing the role of the peacemaker, "Remember we need to take Eggman out as soon as possible! And standing here arguing isn't going to solve anything!"

"Okay then," the imposter spoke, "Let's stop wasting time and go right!"

The freak, also known as Scythe, bared his teeth, "Didn't I just say left?"

"Sonic," the rose hedgehog gazed at him with steady, emerald eyes, "Perhaps we should listen to Scythe. He _is_ the one with a built-in map of this place."

Sonic crossed his arms and blew a raspberry, "Fine then, let's follow him. Apparently no one cares for what the certified hero has to say."

"Certified?" the echidna arched an eyebrow.

I finally decided to step in, "You're right imposter, no one does care; Scythe, lead us."

In response, the imposter frowned at me as Scythe's expression lightened slightly, "Good. Let's go."

Scythe obviously took a left at the fork as the others filed after him. As soon as I began after Tails and the rose hedgehog, Sonic pushed past me with a nudge, "…Faker…"

I scoffed as I watched him appear beside Amy Rose and Tails, "…If either of us is the fake, it's you."

I let my gaze idle as we traveled through the base. The Sahara Base itself was in superior status; the base's walls had been crafted with pure titanium steel, bright fluorescent lights illuminated the darkness with strong beams of light, and even the ebony floors were made out of a smooth marble, but as opaque as the floor was, it still reflected our images as clear as day.

It was only when I did look at our reflections that I noticed that the female echidna was staring at me. Being gawked at has always been an annoyance to me. But with the odd cast that her eyes held, I couldn't help but answer her directly.

I could tell I startled the female echidna when I looked at her from the corners of my eyes, "…What?" She jumped at the sound of my voice; at first she looked startled that I caught her in a daydream, then she settled into an even, sad gaze, "…I'm sorry."

"Don't be apologetic," I replied, setting my sights before me, "Just tell me why you had that look on your face."

I used the mirror-like surface of the floor to my advantage again; I saw the female echidna appearing to be in thought, as if mulling over what words to say. Then she looked up at the back of my mirror image's head, "…I sense something ill is going to happen."

Although she whispered her words, the rest of the group seemed to have heard her and turned to look at her; even Scythe craned his neck to give her a suspicious scowl. Tikal's aquamarine eyes seemed to tremble as she stared at her interlocked hands, "…Something ill is going to befall you…dark hedgehog."

Instantly all eyes fell upon me, and they gazed at me as if I had grown a second head; I blinked numbly at her words. And subconsciously, I began to question just how good of a fortuneteller this female was…

* * *

_POV: Normal_

* * *

The sound of light, nimble footsteps echoed throughout a silent hallway, along with short, bitten-back sobs. Daisy scrambled aimlessly through the relatively dark corridors hoping, just wishing to see some sort of sign that claimed that an exit was nearby. 

But thinking realistically, she knew that she was dead in the core of the base, trapped right smack in the heart of the monster. By now, the yellow hedgehog's throat was far too sore to release a clear, loud shriek.

She tripped over herself clumsily and fell to the ground in a crumbled heap. Pushing herself to her hands and knees, Daisy emitted another shakily sob; things were looking just too hopeless for her.

But even better yet…in the process of fleeing for her life, she had managed to loose Cream. And now the poor little kindergartener was wandering alone in the drone-infested lab by herself.

…Well, she wasn't alone exactly; she had…oh what was its name that Eggman had given it? That's right! It was one of those mechs; a Flying Dog. It was a favorite that GUN liked to use.

Then Daisy remembered the heartless figure that had done all of this to both her and Cream; she remembered the icy gray eyes, and the sadistic, twisted smile, and the somehow heartfelt, heartless laughter. Even the figure's voice had a cruel edge to it:

'_Where are my Master's manners? Girls shouldn't be kept in a cage.' _

Daisy heard the sound of her own voice, _'…Rouge?' _

_'I'll let you and the rabbit go…but I think it'll be more fun to release you, with the mechs chasing after you…' _

_'What?' _

_'Better get going now,' _Daisy could hear the cruel smile in her voice, '_You've got a ten second head-start.' _

Daisy closed her eyes as she clenched her fists, "…I lost Cream…I'm being chased by a machine…a…_damn_ machine…This can't be happening! This has to be a dream! A really bad dream!"

She pounded her fists against the cold floor mercilessly. It was only through a vivid flare of green light that Daisy halted her assault upon the floor. The yellow hedgehog slowly turned her head to the direction of the glowing light.

At the end of a long hallway, a small room seemed to wink as the bright emerald glow rose, then died down with a sigh. Feeling almost transfixed, Daisy slowly rose to her feet and made her way to the end of the hallway.

Once she entered the room, the sight instantly caught her breath; the room, what seemed to have been small, was actually remarkably ostentatious.It was a steel room filled with bleeping machinery, and large movie theater sized flat-screen monitors were stationed on walls.

Each humongous monitor was filled with lime-green numbers trekking across the screen at inhuman speeds. Daisy stepped further into the lab, taking in all of her surroundings wordlessly. While wandering through the lab, she came across one air-locked door. It was sealed with an air-tight lock and a number key-pad; there was no way a curious little hedgehog would be able to snoop behind that door.

But…with a couple of steps to her right, she was able to see all that she wanted to know. Before the yellow hedgehog was a transparent fiberglass window that looked into the air-sealed room.

Once she pressed her face against the window, her features were washed in crimson light. The air-locked room was filled with several rows of red, glowing capsules that all had cords plugged into the largest, fattest capsule. Each capsule, oddly enough, was lying horizontally on the floor instead of vertically, like the capsule Shadow had recovered in.

She gazed deeper into the biggest capsule at what she considered to be the main power source. Inside of the red, bubbling, jello-like substance was what appeared to be a sleeping… hedgehog? Since it was surrounded by the thick, red substance, it was too difficult to evaluate the true hue of his fur, although Daisy was able to tell that the sleeping hedgehog was male.

Daisy deepened her gaze with the slumbering hedgehog; she stared at him as if seeming to think that the harder she stared, the sooner he would awaken. Just as Daisy found herself becoming spellbound at the sight of the newcomer, she heard an all too familiar scream.

The yellow hedgehog cut out of her thoughts to spin around and see a small rabbit flop to the floor, "Cream!"

With a scream, Cream splashed onto the floor. In order to reach the little rabbit, Daisy had to backtrac, and return to the long, dark hallway. Daisy ran over to Cream and looked at her sadly. The small rabbit's suit had taken almost as much abuse as her own, "Oh no…Cream…"

As Daisy ushered those words, a loud boom sounded as a Flying Dog tore through a wall. A wash of horror stole the yellow hedgehog's face as she peered at the ominous mech. Once the mech found its target lying on the floor, it sent two searing missiles at the unconscious rabbit.

Daisy gasped and nabbed Cream before the explosion ignited behind her. Daisy tore down the hallway with missiles hot on her trail. She turned corner after corner, until she found a dead-end. She gasped, "Oh!"

Time seemed to wind in slow motion as Daisy turned around to face the Flying Dog. She wailed as the Flying Dog charged at them head-on like a furious train, "Oh no!"

* * *

Sonic stomped angrily after the black and silver hedgehog, muttering dejectedly under his breath. The azure hero couldn't believe that the group had listened to the half robot, half hedgehog, full jackass instead of him! 

And then Tikal, the really shy, quiet cute chick had told the _real_ faker that something bad was going to happen to him. And good riddance, that's what he deserved for siding with Scythe. But what evil would befall Shadow? Sonic's mind ran and reran the thought over and over again in his head.

Maybe a broken tooth? Or a fractured wrist? Perhaps he'd get shot in the ass! The wheel of doom spinning in the blue hedgehog's mind was endless and…

"Sonic!"

Sonic frowned and turned to gaze down at the carnation hedgehog beside him, "What is it Amy! I was having a good daydream!"

Amy smiled, "Oh it's nothing, I was just wondering…do you like flowers?"

"…" Sonic ground his teeth, "'Do I like flowers?!' Is_ that_ what you just asked me? Amy, what kind of question is that at a time like this?"

Amy giggled, "No reason, just to pass time, we don't have to do everything for a reason you know!"

Sonic and Amy's conversation made wheels begin to revolve in Shadow's head. He suddenly stopped walking and uncrossed his arms when a memory suddenly resurfaced. It was when he was back on Ark, and barely knew Rouge.

_

* * *

_

_With his arms crossed and an impatient scowl growing, Shadow stared intolerantly at the marvelous view of Earth before him. __He had been called to meet up with the Doctor in Ark's main center, so Shadow had opted for using the elevator. Being that it was the quickest way to climb one hundred and fifty-six stories. _

_"My, isn't that view gorgeous!" _

_Shadow's scowl grew even bigger at the sound of her voice; standing beside the all-knowing ultimate life form was Rouge the Bat. __Shadow didn't know much about the lovely bat next to him, but he certainly knew that he couldn't trust her for squat! _

_"No, it's not," Shadow replied coldly, hoping to squash any hopes of a conversation between them, "And this ride would go smoother if some people knew when to keep their mouths shut." _

_Rouge gazed longer at the glowing Earth, entranced by its beauty; it seemed that she had chosen to ignore that comment. _

_Finally, when she finished looking at the Earth, she turned and looked at him none-too-subtlety. __And at the very moment Rouge looked at him, Shadow felt her invading eyes. The dark hedgehog closed his eyes and scowled deeper, "What?" _

_Rouge blinked, then beamed at him, "…What's your favorite color?" _

_Shadow turned and stared at her blankly; he hadn't expected that one. But as quick as he was, his vacant gaze was replaced with his normal, dark façade, "…What does that have to do with anything?" _

_"My favorite color is purple," Rouge replied smiling, "And you?" _

_Shadow turned his gaze from her and shrugged, "I dunno, red? But like I said, what does this have to do with anything?" _

_Rouge sighed, "Shadow, Shadow, Shadow, not everything you do has to have a purpose. Somethings you do to…relax. After all, you know we're going to begin our missions, so we should relax a little before game time." _

_Shadow didn't reply, he merely stared out the window, thoughtfully. _

_"…So red's your favorite color, huh?" _

_Shadow turned to look at the shorter bat beside him. She gave him a smile that displayed her nice fangs, "I hear…People who like the color red are aggressive Tigers. You know, passionate go-getters… Is this true about you Shadow?" _

_For the first time, Shadow smiled in the presence of the white bat, who couldn't help but smile back, "…Perhaps…but we shall see soon, won't we?" _

_

* * *

_

"Shadow?"

The black hedgehog snapped to at the mention of his name. He blinked, seeing the big gap between himself and the others who had been staring back at him. Shadow caught up until he was matching stride for stride with his cerulean adversary, "Damn, you were gone! What were you dreaming about?"

Shadow smiled at him grimly then tore his gaze from him. Sonic laughed, "…Well that's the creepiest smile I'll see today!"

The black hedgehog halted in his steps once more, this time, a dangerous expression playing on his features, "Did you hear that?"

The chatter ceased as the other fell silent, honing in. With glowing amber eyes, Tikal suddenly gasped as if a bucket of cold water had been flung on her, and pointed at a wall above them, "Look!"

Just as Tikal foresaw, the wall, a spot about one hundred feet above them broke, bearing a small hedgehog being tailed by a Flying Dog. Everyone was more than sure that the machine was a flying assault mech, but what was it after? From where they all stood, the mech was easily visible, but the yellow blot that it was chasing was inaccessible.

But when they heard a scream, most doubt was eliminated. Tails squinted his eyes, "What is that?"

"Hold on," Scythe replied.

He took a step closer and glared hard at the Flying Mech. To the untrained eye, a person would think that black hedgehog was merely glaring, but someone with sharper eyes, such as Shadow or Sonic, would notice that he was adjusting his eyes, as his irises were being stained with ebony.

And the modification did for Scythe as a telescope did for a stargazer; with a perfect viewing window, Scythe was able to see that the Flying Dog was pursing a familiar yellow hedgehog who held an unconscious rabbit.

"…You've gotta be--" Scythe began in a monotone voice.

"What is it?" Tails asked.

"It's that girl!" Scythe hissed, springing into action, "Daisy, and she has the annoying rabbit!"

A roar of upset broke through the crowd as the heroes stepped into action; Tails and Tikal took to the air and Sonic, Shadow, Amy, and Knuckles broke into a mad dash. Because the black and silver hedgehog had spotted the girl first, he had ten steps over everyone. He halted progress as he glared up at the wall, trying to figure out how to reach the yellow hedgehog above him.

Seconds later, Shadow and Sonic skid to a halt beside him. Sonic blinked up, watching the flying mech as Tails and Tikal flew above overhead, "…How are we going to reach them?"

Amy and Knuckles stopped beside Shadow who looked at Sonic, "I have an idea, we can--"

He paused mid-sentence as Scythe, actually leapt through the air, dug his claws in, and began to scale the wall as if it were a fence. Shadow raised both eyebrows as Sonic and Amy shared shock with gaping mouths, Knuckled blinked. Sonic turned to look at Shadow, "…Holy cow! …Is he_ freakin'_ climbing the wall!?"

"…I was going to suggest we use Chaos Control," Shadow replied.

"Okay," Amy replied, "For those of us who can't do that, then let's Chaos Control."

Sonic looked at the green emerald in his palms, as it began to radiate with power, "Chaos Control! Locate: Cream!"

_

* * *

_

"Oof!" Daisy collapsed, barely avoiding a barrage of bullets from the Flying Dog. She looked up at the Flying Dog, ignoring the choppy bangs that obscured her view. The flying mech had landed a couple of feet in front of her, and Cream, who had rolled out of her arms, was lying behind her.

The mech marched past the fallen hedgehog, appearing as if it had never seen her. With each heavy clank, the Flying Dog slowly approached Cream. Daisy watched in a silent terror, with her mouth frozen in a scream. The helpless kindergartener was going to be killed, and it would be all her fault. Ever since Rouge was put in that machine, it was her duty to watch over Cream. And now, not even thirty minutes later, it seemed that Cream was going to be killed.

Then, something sparked behind those warm, caramel eyes as Daisy sprung out before the mech, screaming, "Cream!"

The Flying Dog halted as a small hedgehog skid into view. It ran twelve different analysis scans over the young girl within two and a half seconds. And after finding out her height, weight, and blood type, the Flying Dog also found out that she was perfectly harmless.

Just as the mech had finished running the last of its tests, a hand reached up and grabbed onto a nearby railing. By pulling himself up, the hedgehog revealed himself to be Scythe. As he grimaced, pulling himself up on the railing in the manner one executed a pull-up, Scythe caught a glimpse of an angry Daisy glaring at a mech three times her height.

"Move you idiot! Move!" he screamed.

The mech none too gently removed the girl from his path with a blow to the face. And with the sight of Daisy being toppled over like empty tin cans, Scythe was revved up and trying to scramble his way over the rail. At the thought of being pushed aside, at first Daisy looked shocked, then her face contorted into anger. With a snort reminiscent of a bull, Daisy rose to her feet and appeared before the mech again.

She stared at it defiantly, "…I'm not gonna let you hurt her anymore! If you want Cream, you're gonna have to get past me!"

Scythe growled as he slipped on the rail, "Dammit! Why does everyone choose today to be stupid!?"

Daisy squeezed her eyes shut and clamped her hands together as if praying. Scythe watched in horror as the mech placed one of its large cannon's point-blank into Daisy's face; but how could she know that? The girl had her eyes closed! Scythe almost emitted a squeak as he saw the cannon beginning to radiate with a golden glow. But then, he realized that the yellow light was coming from the small, praying hedgehog.

"Please," Daisy began, the yellow orb of light beginning to grow, "I'm not strong, but I need power to protect my friend!"

The Flying Dog's arm cannon began to glow green, Scythe screamed multiple commands amd even curses, at the yellow hedgehog who was soon engulfed in a green light.The assault mech released a green ray beam, covering Daisy completely. Scythe stared at the scene wide-eyed and wordlessly.

Once the green light disappeared, the bright yellow light appeared again. It seemed as if a yellow protective force field had been made. Finally, Daisy opened her eyes, staring straight at the mech. She raised both of her palms to the sky and closed her eyes, "I summon…Sunshine Borealis!"

Strong, golden beams rained from the sky, as Daisy waited, feeling the warm power flow through her. The mech was swarmed with glowing rays, and burst into flames. The Sunshine Borealis had created a shield to defend both Daisy and Cream, but the draft from the explosion knocked her off of the platform and over the rail.

Scythe watched Daisy fall and grabbed her by the wrist before she plummeted any further. Daisy opened her eyes to look at Scythe, "…Scythe? …Oh! Where's Cream?"

"We got her! Or, um, I got her."

Both hedgehogs looked to Sonic who was hanging on a rail beside them. He touched Scythe'd head, just as the Chaos Emerald began to glow, "Chaos Control! Locate: Amy!" In a matter of seconds the three hedgehogs were beside Amy who was holding Cream. Daisy looked over at Cream happily, "Oh, you're safe! I'm so glad!"

"All thanks to you!" Amy smiled at the smaller hedgehog, "I saw the whole thing! You were great!"

"Really I destroyed that thing by myself?" Daisy asked happily, "You guys didn't help?"

Knuckles chuckled, "...What are you talking about? That was all your doing. When we saw you destroy the mech, we got the hell outta there!"

Tails nodded his head, "Yup, yup!"

"…Not bad at all," Scythe replied, his hostile gaze dying.

"Really?" Daisy returned his gaze.

Before the two of them could have a moment, Shadow stepped in, looking none too happy, "…Why are you two here?"

He motioned to Cream and Daisy. Sonic stepped by the dark hedgehog's side, looking slightly skeptical.

"Yeah, what gives," Sonic asked lightly, "You guys look more war-worn then we do."

"Holy cow!" Tails cried, " We left you guys at the workshop!"

"...Yes, yes we did," Knuckles replied, looking at Tails skeptically, "...Aren't you supposed to be the genius?"

Daisy shook her head and her face dropped, "Oh…It's terrible…It stared when you guys left…Eggman held us hostage…He kidnapped Cream and shot me in the stomach. If we didn't go with him, he said he'd kill Cream."

Something violent flared behind Scythe's eyes, "He did _what_ to you?"

Shadow's normal mean scowl disappeared abruptly, he looked at Daisy with uncharacteristically anxious eyes, "….Where's Rouge?"

"Right here," a cool, feminine voice replied.

The group turned to look ahead of themselves. Idling in the middle of a fleet of drones and Flying Dogs was Eggman, looking perfectly happy with the situation before him. But standing at his side with her hand interlocked in his was Rouge.

She was adorned in a black leather form-fitting, high-collared trench coat that flared out around her legs like a dress. Her normal sky-blue eye shadow was replaced with a smoky, gray powder, and her eyes were lined with a thick, gothic-looking liner. And her normal sparkling, blue eyes were a cool, foggy gray.

She was staring dead at the ebony and crimson hedgehog with a malicious smirk, "…Hello baby."

* * *

To be continued! 

Chapter Twenty five Theme_: "Sing for the moment"- Aerosmith_


	27. He who walks with fire

_**UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

_**LoVe'S bUrN **_

_By: UlTrAa ShAdDow _

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did! _

_-Hey Readers and Reviewers alike, a new C2 had been started by yours truly. It's called, 'The Legends of Fanfiction' and if you want to join as a staff member, or have a fic in mind that you think deserves legendary status…Let me know._

"_You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

* * *

_Third POV…._

* * *

There was no doubt about it; Rouge was now in league with the notorious Eggman. She curled a stray arm onto her hip as she huffed a sigh. Only when she was sure that Shadow was focused on her, Rouge smiled a chilling, cat-like grin at the shocked ebony and crimson hedgehog before her.

Beside Shadow, the other, scar-riddled black hedgehog stared dead at Eggman, his creator. Scythe began to tremble as fury began to slowly seep in and contort his facial features. Just the sight of his creator made his irises turn black.

Eggman smiled darkly, "My, I'm extremely glad that all of you decided to pay me a visit. If not, then who would be around to witness the beginning of my reign?"

Sonic scowled, "Get over yourself! We're going to shut you down, just like always."

"Like always, huh?" Eggman replied softly, "…Well this time, there shall be no fall to my plan, with the energy of the Master Emerald at disposal--"

"Oh bull," Knuckles hissed, taking a step forward, "You can't use the power of the Master Emerald and you know it! Tikal sealed off the power of the Emerald when you attacked her at Angel Island!"

Eggman turned to look at Knuckles and smiled, "…Well, hello there Knuckles, seeing you beside Sonic makes me think our partnership is terminated."

"Damn right it is!" Knuckles spat, eyes glowing darkly, "You double-cross me, assault Tikal, then steal the Master Emerald, you better hope you get out of here before I get to you."

"Well, you may think our business is done, but I'll need one more favor out of you yet, and that's to awaken the power in the Emerald. But as of right now," Eggman smiled, "It's almost time to awaken my greatest creation."

Scythe snarled, as that was a visible blow to his pride. The jerk didn't even seem to notice that his creation was standing right in front of him! Eggman turned to face the ivory bat beside him, "…Would you mind sending the troops out after our friends?" he purred.

"Certainly," Rouge's icy smile didn't waver.

With a flick of her dark gloved fingers, the legion of robotic drones before her mobilized. Rouge pointed a sure finger at the crowd of heroes, gray eyes glinted venomously, "Kill them, but spare the black hedgehog. If he tries anything, pulverize him, but no killing."

A horde of robotic drones sprang to life and began to enclose the open distance between them and their foes. Eggman and Rouge smiled at each other as they watched the unfolding scene.

Eggman then bent over and whispered something in Rouge's ear, something that made her smile immorally. She nodded her head in response and they separated and entered different doors. Both automatic doors sealed quickly behind them.

Daisy closed her eyes and huddled closer to Scythe as the drones approached. Tails turned to face the others behind him, "…So, a plan of action would help now."

"They've separated," Sonic said, "We better go after them."

"Okay then," Knuckles replied, "Then how about our frocking metal friends here?"

He pointed to the charging drones lazily, " I bet it'd really hurt their feelings if all of us suddenly left."

Shadow scowled, "…It's a poor idea to separate…but it appears that we shall have to."

"I'm goin' after Eggman," Sonic hiked a thumb at himself.

"…Then I'm going with you," Scythe stepped beside Sonic, "I have to pay that bastard back."

"And I wanna go with my Sonic," Amy smiled at a frowning Sonic.

"I'll track down Rouge," Shadow said, "…I don't want anyone else to tag along."

"Fine, the rest of us will take care of those drones," Knuckles motioned to the approaching fleet, "You guys get going."

Shadow scowled as he faced the incoming swarm; time was precious and the seconds were flying by. His shoes flared to life as he skated off, heading straight into the heart of the robotic crowd. Seconds before he seemed doomed to run head-first into the mechanical foes, Shadow's jet-shoes exploded with fire as he launched himself into the air several feet above the metal army's heads.

The red-eyed hedgehog made a hard right and entered the automatic door Rouge had entered only seconds ago. Sonic turned to look at Knuckles, "Damn, I want a pair of those!"

Scythe snarled and made his way beside Sonic. He glared and bent over slightly, so he was in Sonic's face, "Are we going to go after Eggman _today_ Blue?"

"Geez," Sonic blinked, "Who kicked you in the butt? Let's jet."

"Wait!"

Daisy took Scythe's hand and curled her fingers with his. Deep cocoa browns met icy silvers, "…I want to come with you."

Scythe blinked; there was an odd, fluttery feeling in his chest when he looked into the little yellow hedgehog's eyes, the girl who had eyes that were both soft and innocent. Quickly the silver and black hedgehog recovered by putting on his mean face. Scythe snatched his arm away from her, "…Whatever; just stop being weird."

"Well, whatever you guys plan on doing, you better do it now!" Tails cried, "They're coming!"

"Right well, take care of business lil' bud," Sonic high-fived Tails, "And you too Knux."

Knuckles nodded his head, "We'll catch up, you just beat Eggman until _I_ get there."

Sonic looked to the pink hedgehog with eyes that almost mirrored his own, he flexed his arm and took her hand in his, "C'mon, let's go."

Sonic and Amy took off, heading toward the hostile androids. The sight of the two hedgehog charging against the advancing fleet seemed to imprint the picture of 'just the two of us against the world.' Knuckles smiled at the sight and shook his head, "He is in such denial."

The moment Knuckles smile had come, it was gone just as quickly; red echidna wiped his face of its previous emotion and stretched a knuckled-fist at the charging antagonists, "Thunder Arrow!"

A low, thick moan rose from the base as it trembled. Bolts of lighting rained upon the metal crowd in bright, yellow torrents and Knuckles stood in the electric storm guiding the powerful currents as a conductor would lead an orchestra. And the sight was truly a symphony, as bursts of fire rose in cherry clouds from androids that exploded timely.

Sonic and Amy used the attack to their advantage and nimbly darted and swerved through the newly carved path of falling androids. Scythe turned to Daisy, ready to follow Sonic's trail. Instead of taking his hand, Daisy extended both of her arms, waiting to be picked up like a two-year older.

Scythe rolled his eyes, "Aw _hell_…"

He hoisted her awkwardly into the air, deciding what to do with the yellow hedgehog momentarily. He held her at eye level, a couple of feet away from him; the way an unsure father would hold a toddler who just wet himself. Just when Daisy flashed him a grin, the moment was ruined when Knuckles broke off his concentration and ended the attack. Scythe and Daisy exchanged glances, "…I think we better go now."

"…And just who do you think you're tellin'?"

Scythe swung Daisy over to his back and began running. Each step took him closer to the stunned foes. Daisy wrapped her arms around his neck, fitting herself into the piggy-back position. The piggy-back ride would have been fun, if the circumstance would have been lighter.

Scythe trailed the path Sonic had taken seconds ago, forcefully removing any metallic drones in the process. He hopped aboard an elevated floor and accessed the door Eggman had entered.

"Here I come… '_father'_," Scythe whispered to himself bitterly.

He marched through the door grimly, irises being engulfed completely by darkness.

* * *

Three androids stood in the Sahara Base's most extravagant quarter. The area was dubbed the 'red room', because it was entirely lit with a crimson glow. The surrounding area was under full survey twenty-four hours day, and even to up the all-day security one better, each hour, a drone was to report to the red room and monitor the proceedings.

Even though the red room was named for its color, it held a far more important destiny. Within the confines of the red room were stacks and lines of bubbling capsules. The entire room was kept at a chilling temperature of thirty-six degrees Celsius, in order to keep the contents within the capsules preserved.

Each capsule fed its red, churning squishy juices into the room's largest capsule that held a dormant creature.The three androids themselves were busy tending to the deep-sleeper. One android was stationed at a large computer that read the occupant's vitals; the second monitored the thermostat, and the last watched the slumbering individual.

So far everything was going as easy as pie; no off-the scale readings, no unexpected fluctuates, or any meltdowns. An air-tight door sighed when it broke to an entered code. Eggman appeared beside one of his drones, the one standing at the head of the capsule, "Prepare the capsule, we must awake him."

"Understood," the drone replied automatically, "Corresponding with Mech 221 and Mech 473…"

A robotic voice spoke over a speaker seconds later, " Mech 221 complying…statistics for Project 0012946 Achilles: vitality ratings: Adequate. Physical composition: Complete. Cognitive composition:…Incomplete… Master, Project 0012946 Achilles is not complete. The Cognitive composition is not yet complete."

"How much longer will it take?" Eggman asked.

"Five hours, fifty-two minutes, thri--"

Eggman growled, "Enough! That is far too long. I need my solider here and now. I did not install him with the knowledge of snapping a hyoid five different ways for him to sleep in a damn tube. Terminate the sleeping process."

"Master, 0012946's cognitive abilities are only seventy-five percent complete; there is a rather large margin for cogent instabilities--"

"Do not question me again," Eggman hissed, "When I say jump, you say 'how high?'!"

"Understood."

"Mech 473, raise the temperature gradually to sixty-five degrees. We don't want our newest member to freeze."

"Understood."

Eggman glanced at the machine beside him, " Mech 621, drain the life-support substance from the capsules."

"Understood."

Eggman watched rather impatiently as he saw the thick, crimson gooey liquid begin to fade away, draining through the vents in the floor. The doctor also swore that he began to feel the temperature in the room begin to slow increase. After waiting a few minutes more, all three drones stood beside their creator. The last drone; Mech 473, began to unscrew the surface of the fiberglass window.

After a chain of loud clicks, the door moaned as it gave away and blew the stench of the gooey, red substance into the faces of the four bystanders. Eggman cringed slightly at the smell; a mixture of hot play-doe and mildew.But Eggman was able to overlook the smelly set-back when he saw his creation slowly open his deep, cobalt blue eyes.

* * *

Shadow skid to a halt as he studied his surroundings. After traveling through a dark tunnel of vacant hallways, he finally landed himself in a room of notable interest. It appeared to be a training room.

The ceiling was strung with sharp, bright fluorescent lights; the walls were made of dark, padded rubbery material. The floor beneath Shadow's feet was soft as well, as if to support the soles of one's feet.

And on top of this, both the height and the length of the room were great enough to rival that of a stadium, "Ah, I see you've found the training room. Amazing, isn't it?"

Shadow looked up, spotting Rouge. She was leaning on an ebony balcony, smiling at him roguishly. She dropped to the lower level, a couple of feet from Shadow.

"…" Shadow looked at her wordlessly.

"Stunned?" Rouge arched an eyebrow.

"Why would you side with Eggman?" Shadow asked; it was best to start with the least complicated questions first.

Rouge ignored him, "Why don't you join me Shadow?"

"You'd never join him of freewill…what did he do to you?" Shadow asked.

"…Why do you hate him so much?" Rouge purred, "With the Doctor, it'll be like old times…Remember? Back when we were on Ark?"

Shadow blinked; a film of images from the past were unlocked involuntarily. Each correlating with his second life on Ark, half a century after Maria's death. The idea seemed to bring back an old nostalgia.

Rouge smiled, seeing the void expression on Shadow's face, "… Just like the old days, and if you join us Shadow, we can have anything we want. When you fight, you'll be on the winning side, no more losing loved ones…or feeling unnecessary pain…"

The past images seemed to appear quicker before Shadow's mind's eye. First the images had materialized so Shadow could study each of them closely; then, they all began emerging and vanishing within seconds, leaving Shadow feeling disorientated.

Rouge's dark smile widened, she began to approach him, "…We can be together again…all you have to do is side with Eggman…"

She strolled toward Shadow, with an impressive walk too, until she came to stand before him. And the distance between them was in no way loose, Rouge was pressed up against him, like a doctor listening for a patient's heartbeat. Both the spinning images and the overly friendly bat weren't helping his judgment to well.

He felt as if the world was spinning around him. The white bat gazed up at him with void, somehow lovely gray eyes; oh how the hedgehog was a goner! He looked like Cupid had hit him with all the arrows he had been carrying!

A love-stuck zombie…Rouge smiled darkly at the thought.

She lowered her head to hear his racing heart pound against his ribs. Rouge smiled, then rose to her full height; to stand a little under his chin.

"…That's right, it can be like old times…" Rouge ran her small fingers in the black hedgehog's white tuft of fur, "And if you join us…"

Rouge grabbed Shadow's jaw none too lightly; her eyes flared dangerously, "…You'll be all _mine_…"

The gray-eyed bat eyed him possessively before she closed in for the kill, "Whenever I want…"

Rouge closed her eyes and stood on the tip of her toes. Moments away from a kiss, a gloved hand stopped her and she elevated her gaze to meet Shadow's, "…I give a hell no to joining Eggman. And you would too…if you were yourself…"

She hissed and backed away from him, to give herself just enough space to wrong him with a solid right to the face, "_You lousy hedgehog_! You'll regret your decision!"

The blow to Shadow's face barely managed to turn his head, "…Care to try that again?"

Rouge glared at him hatefully, she returned her answer by throwing another punch at Shadow's face. Shadow caught it effortlessly, as his eyes had never left Rouge. The treasure huntress hissed as she wriggled in his grasp, she stared murderously at him, "Unhand me, you lout!"

Shadow smiled, a full-blown grin, "As you wish."

He released Rouge and she toppled over and fell backwards, landing on her rear. She snarled at Shadow as he actually had the nerve to laugh at her expense! Rouge scrambled to her feet and distanced herself, "…Fine then! Since you wish to refuse my offer, then I'll have to beat it out of you, until you beg for forgiveness."

Rouge glared at the smiling hedgehog as she fumbled with the back of her zipper. Smoothly, she unzipped the leather trench coat and allowed the dark material to drop to her feet. She stepped out wearing a strapless, form fitting black dress with pump-heeled shoes.

Her shapely legs were adorned in fishnet tights. She eyed her black gloves then turned her gaze back to him. She gave him a shark-like grin, "…There's one thing I forgot to mention…when I offered you to join us, you never had a choice in the matter. This way is only going to hurt much more though…and I think I like the idea better…Beating the defiance out of you…"

Before Shadow could reply, Rouge appeared before him in a flash, proving Shadow's thought correct: Eggman had enhanced her. Just as he did Knuckles, and himself. The huntress's attacks were much faster and fluent, but Shadow was able to dodge every blow easily.

Shadow began to wonder why Rouge had decided to fight him, even with her improved attributes she still was not much of a match for him. True, she was exceedingly better, but still lacking. However, after Shadow avoiding another of Rouge's quick jabs, he went to make a counterattack and found that he couldn't move his feet. Like his feet had been glued to the floor.

Shadow gaped at the ground wordlessly as Rouge appeared and decked him with a blow to gut. He doubled-over and fell to the ground. Surprisingly, Rouge's blow had managed to take the velocity of what felt like a freight train. While laughing merrily, Rouge kicked him in the side and sent him rolling a few feet.

Shadow grimaced as he rose to his knees; this was his first time fighting a foe who wore heels, and yes…he did not enjoy the experience. Especially since the batgirl knew the proper way to jar him with the painful slopes of the shoes.

Rouge's shadow fell over him and as the black hedgehog turned to face her, she punched him yet again in the stomach. Shadow hit the floor instantly, the last kick he took was tolerable, but her punches were brutish, like being bucked by a wild mustang. Just what in the world had Eggman done to her?

The huntress laughed at him, baring sharp canines, "What's wrong Shadow? O Mister ultimate life-form? Surprised that you're getting beat up by a _girl_? You know, Eggman isn't stupid…"

She grabbed Shadow's chin and forced his gaze to meet hers, "…I mean, how is lil' ole me supposed to even stand a fighting chance against the ultimate life form? Eggman gave me these gloves, and with these babies, I can hit as hard as that stupid red echidna."

Rouge looked up and her eyes momentarily lost their seductive sheen, in place was the musing of ponder, "…Never loved the fool anyways," she shrugged apathetically, "Oh well…"

She threw an aimed punch at the black hedgehog beneath her. Shadow rolled out of her path and she watched him with narrowed eyes. He somersaulted to his feet as Rouge followed after him relentlessly, throwing swing for swing, "Stop resisting!"

Shadow frowned, avoiding blow after blow. He gazed up at the ceiling and got an idea. He pointed to the ceiling, aiming at one of the fluorescent lights, "Chaos Spear!"

The cable to the light snapped and after a gasp, Rouge hopped out of the way. She glared at him angrily, "…This will make it all the sweeter when I-- "

Rouge dropped to the floor, gasping in pain. Shadow immediately went to her side. Rouge grimaced, holding her sides. She held her eyes tightly shut as she winced in pain. It didn't take long for the ultimate life-form to be beside her. He took a knee and held her, "…What's wrong?"

Rouge kicked at him as she tried to back away, scooting on the floor. The treasure huntress glared balefully at him with feral, gray eyes, "Get away from me! This is all your fault! _Your fault_!"

Shadow stared at her silently, prompting her to continue, and Rouge was more than glad to, "If you weren't such a lustful bastard! I wouldn't have this pain…Because of this damn abomination growing in me! Draining the life from me!"

Rouge gasped as cold sweat rolled down her face. Now Shadow was alert, looking at her with eyes that were both very clear and opaque at the same time, "…You're…?"

"How much more obvious do I have to make it?" Rouge spat, "You know already, I'm--"

A tweak of static flared, Shadow assumed it came from Rouge as she glanced at her wrist, "Rouge…This is Eggman, return to the interior basement…Now!"

The call faded and Rouge looked at Shadow, eyes cloudy, "…Well, this'll have to wait."

The wheezing bat plucked what looked to be a few buttons on the underside of her arm. The bright fluorescent lights began to fade as they one-by one shut out. With his fading vision, he saw Rouge turn-heel and stumble towards an automatic sealing door.

The automatic door was slowly sealing closed. Shadow boosted and went through the door before it closed. He looked around until he saw Rouge's hunched-over silhouette scamper around a bend. And without a second thought, Shadow followed.

* * *

"Man," Sonic breathed, "We gotta stop Eggman from releasing another freak…No offense Scythe."

"Oh yeah, none taken at all," Scythe hissed sarcastically, "Bite me."

"Scythe," Daisy said from over his back, "…Won't you be sad that we're trying to hurt your new brother or sister."

Somehow, it didn't surprise Scythe that she'd think of the new creation as a sibling. And she's probably see Eggman as the father; a loving, caring, proud father.

But the truth of the matter was; whatever that _thing_ was Eggman stewed in a jar would in no way be good sibling material. It'd be more on the lines of a blood-thirsty freak of nature…just like its big brother.

"Not as sad as I'll be if we don't hurt him or her," Scythe shot back.

"Look!" Amy pointed to a door at the end of the hallway, "Is that it?"

"That has to be it," Sonic replied.

"…That's it," Scythe said, "…It's the red room."

* * *

Eggman's creation slowly sat up as he took in his surroundings. Eggman himself was bursting with 'paternal' pride. Project 0012946 Achilles appeared to be perfect, and his reactions were rational.

Eggman dimmed the crimson lights momentarily, and turned to look at him. The project was a golden hedgehog with incredibly deep, cobalt blue eyes that bordered indigo. At the sound of Eggman's voice, the gold hedgehog turned to look at him, "Mech 473, give Project 0012946 his gear."

"Understood," The Mech left the room briefly.

Eggman dropped before him creation and took a knee, "Welcome Project 0012946. …Do you know who I am?"

It was more of a test than a concern. The gold hedgehog blinked, "…My creator."

"And do you know your name?"

The gold hedgehog paused again, "Project 0012946--"

"Your name is Achilles, my son," Eggman replied with a smile.

"…Ach…illes…" the gold hedgehog smiled, "That's my name."

An automatic door opened and a hunched over Rouge appeared, "Doctor, you called?"

Her gray eyes stopped on the hedgehog next to him and Eggman smiled, "…This is my greatest creation, Achilles."

"Hi," Rouge said shortly, she turned to look at Eggman, "Sir, everyone's on their way here! What do we do?"

Mech 473 returned with a pair of white gloves and blue, black and white shoes, "Project 0012946 Achilles, your equipment."

Achilles took the shoes, "…My name's Achilles."

The gold hedgehog studied Eggman's hands and feet before he began to pull on the white gloves. Eggman turned to Rouge, "So you say their on their way here?"

Rouge nodded her head, "Affirmative. They'll be here any minute now."

"And as for Shadow?"

Rouge grimaced, "…He's refused all offers of joining us."

A loud bang resounded through the red room. Rouge and Eggman exchanged knowing glances. Another loud bang rang out. Rouge glared at the door, "What do we do?"

Eggman looked at the gold hedgehog; Achilles' attention had been piqued at the sound of the banging, "…Someone's here."

"Achilles!" the hedgehog turned to look at him, "Destroy Mech 473."

Achilles blinked at his master as both Rouge and the Doctor gauged him vigilantly. For the first time, the gold hedgehog rose to his feet and took his first steps. He walked as smoothly as any adult. He stopped before the android and crushed its head with dead, robotic-like accuracy and poise.

The smooth, fluid movement of his strike had even stunned himself. Achilles' widened his eyes at the sight of the shorting machine. And just as the android was about to collapse, Achilles smashed its torso in with twenty kicks before it even touched the floor. Rouge gasped as Eggman smiled happily, "Achilles, next finish those other two androids."

Achilles zipped beside the Mech 621 and smashed in its kneecaps before the android could execute any escape actions. The android fell to the floor and after the gold hedgehog stuck a fist through its chest cavity. Mech 221 had began to flee, despite Eggman's command. The robot was halted however when Achilles threw the remaining fragments of Mech 621. Both androids exploded, with crimson, fiery clouds.

At first, Achilles seemed startled that robots had burst into flames, but then he slowly broke into a large, white grin. Something about the flames enchanted him. Possibly due to the way dark clouds of smoke rose or the way the metal faces melted under the red licking fire.

Fighting and destroying such was fun! And it came so naturally to him. The thought of destroying made his heart pound and his adrenaline rush. And at the back of his mind, a thought popped up…he wondered if his creator too, would burst into flames.

The automatic door broke open, from a heavy punch from Scythe. Sonic, flanked by Amy, entered the room. Scythe entered seconds later, dropping Daisy from his back. At first glance, all eyes fell on the wafting smoke, but then they found Eggman.

"Here I am Eggman," Sonic declared, "Just as I promised. I'm here to shut you down!"

Eggman smiled at Sonic, "I honestly don't think so…not with--"

"Forgetting someone?"

Eggman's smile disappeared as he set his sight upon his former creation, "…It couldn't be…"

"Well it is," Scythe smiled shark-like; eyes as black as night, "And I've come to kill you, as painfully as possible, father."

"'Father?'"

A gold hedgehog fell into view as he stepped beside Eggman. Scythe's smile died fleetingly as he took in the new hedgehog. The hedgehog was a deep gold, the color of ripe hay. And he had a couple of inches over Rouge, but the attribute that stuck out the most were his profound, cobalt eyes.

"Ah, Scythe, it's so good to have you here then," Eggman smiled, "Meet your 'brother' Achilles. He is my greatest creation."

Achilles looked at Scythe blankly, "Project 0012945?"

"He's the imperfect project, your prototype," Eggman replied, "I want you Achilles; to destroy every creature in this room save for Rouge. She's on our side. Give them a true taste of power, and destroy them all painfully."

Achilles nodded his head, "Understood father."

A crooked, large toothy smile flashed on his face. Eggman smiled happily, finally he'd see his project destroy all these pests who bothered him for years. And he'd especially have Achilles make Sonic's death terribly painful.

But Eggman frowned when he looked at the group of heroes before him; why hadn't Achilles charged them? He looked to his project to see that he was staring directly at him with that unnerving smile, and those cobalt eyes.

...Insane cobalt eyes...

As soon as Eggman's face dropped, Achilles struck, leaving the every occupant in the room silent. Seconds later, the Doctor's head fell to the floor, the façade of shock still present on his face.

* * *

To be continued! 

Chapter Twenty five Theme_: "One step closer"- Linkin Park_


	28. Achilles walks

**_UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: _**

**_LoVe'S bUrN _**

_By: UlTrAa ShAdDow _

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did! _

_-Hey Readers and Reviewers alike, a new C2 had been started by yours truly. It's called, 'The Legends of Fanfiction' and if you want to join as a staff member, or have a fic in mind that you think deserves legendary status…Let me know. _

_-Well, here comes another chapter and thanks for the awesome reviews as always! And enjoy the long chapter goodness. _

_"You can close your eyes to things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to things you don't want to feel." _

_

* * *

_

_Third POV…._

* * *

Everyone in the red room was motionless, like wax figurines in a museum exhibit. Each individual was replaying the incident over and over again in their minds. Truly wondering, had they just really witnessed what they thought. 

"He's--" Rouge grimaced.

"…He's dead," Sonic flat-lined, voice emotionless.

Amy covered her mouth wordlessly as her green-tinged eyes took in everything and nothing all at once, and Daisy stepped backwards, trembling greatly; just like the blue hedgehog, they too had been flung headfirst into an ocean of confusion.

Achilles looked down at the lifeless, twisted remains of the doctor. To his disappointment, there had been no bright, flashy explosions when his creator perished. Although there was a deep crimson puddle accumulating on the chrome-colored floor.

The newest experiment peered at his red-stained gloves. They had once been perfectly white, but now they had been permeated by the same, red fluid pooling around the doctor, "…Warm…"

Scythe got past the lump in his dry throat to speak hoarsely, "…You killed him…" Achilles moved his line of sight from the dead scientist to his older creation. If he remembered correctly, his creator had told him that he was his brother.

And whatever his creator said was true, but it did stir Achilles as a bit odd that his brother looked nothing remotely like him. If anything, the shrimpy girl hedgehog behind his brother looked more suited to pass as his sister.

He continued to watch his brother with fascinated, cobalt eyes. Scythe's angst drained away to be replaced with a feral anger, "You killed him! You bastard!" Instead of feeling sorrow, Achilles smiled, and halfway waved, "Hello, my name's Achilles."

Scythe paused, flabbergasted at the gold hedgehog's last words. He missed the manner Sonic and Amy exchanged astonished looks; Achilles' bright smile didn't falter in the prescience of the surprised faces. In fact, he even smiled larger, "What's your names? My creator said that you're my older brother. Is that so?"

In response, Scythe frowned and clamped his mouth shut; just what in the world was wrong with this guy? It doesn't seem like he has all of his marbles. Which in Scythe's book, made him about a thousand times much more dangerous.

"That's correct," a cool voice purred.

Rouge appeared beside Achilles with a friendly smile plastered to her face, "That's Scythe, your brother. The blue hedgehog's Sonic, the pink one's Amy and the smallest one is Daisy."

"She's yellow like me," Achilles replied, "We look as if we could be related."

Rouge nodded her head, then spoke in a smooth purr, "But do you know what else your father told you? Within his last words?" Achilles looked down momentarily, racking his memory. Sonic was more than sure that the gold hedgehog found what Rouge was looking for when he settled an intense, cerulean gaze upon them.

"Well then," Rouge replied, "If you remember your father's last words, then complete his final will and finish them!"

Sonic and Scythe readjusted themselves into a defensive stance as they fell back a couple of feet from both Rouge and Achilles. Amy stepped before Daisy, acting as a shield. Rouge crossed her arms and smiled contently; so even in light of the doctor's death, it was still very possible to carry out his world domination ploy…on an alternative route of course.

And so far, Achilles looked like a wonderful plan B. Achilles smiled; his irises washed in an odd, bright sapphire, "My name's Achilles, and I'm going to kill you all." He snapped into action and leapt at the gasping pink hedgehog.

_

* * *

_

"You think we lost them?"

"I certainly hope so."

Tails and Tikal panted greedily as the relished the air around them. They were recuperating in one of the Sahara Base's deserted hallways. Tails took a seat on the floor as Tikal rested her back against a wall, gazing upward. Tails looked across the hallway to Tikal, "…Do you think Knuckles is okay?"

Aqua eyes rested on the two-tailed fox, "Knuckles is a superior guardian. If he could complete his vigorous training, then he can handle anything."

"Wow, those are some pretty strong words, Tikal," Tails smiled, "I bet Knuckles would be flattered if he heard all that!" Tikal blinked as her face heated up, "It is true! He is a good guardian! ….And I base that testimony _not_ from my feelings! So stop giving me that impish look!"

Tails and Tikal exchanged friendly smiles. Both smiles faded quickly when they detected the sound of approaching footsteps. Tails rose to his feet as Tikal began to hover. Tearing around a corner bend, Knuckles appeared with Cream in hand running like a madman, "Run! _RUN_!"

Tikal and Tails traded anxious looks before they turned tail and ran. The young fox peddled himself with his spinning twin tails as the monarch flew through the air. Tails happened to steal a glance over his shoulder and almost yelped at the sight.

Hot on the guardian's trail was an innumerable mass of robotic drones. A sea of lifeless metal pursued Knuckles, and that thought sent chills down Tails' spine. Tails and Tikal tore around a corner bend and entered a small door. If Tails hadn't stuck his head out and grabbed Knuckles, the guardian would have ran past them.

And the second Knuckles entered the room; he sealed the door shut behind him. As Tikal checked on Knuckles, Tails took the time to study their surroundings; it looked as if they were in another endless hallway with multiple doors.

"Oh," Tails moaned, throwing his hands in the air aggravated, "It looks like another, yellow brick road to the Wizard Oz!"

"Are you sure you're fine?" Tikal asked thoughtfully.

"Yeah," Knuckles replied, "…Just…a little tired."

He handed Cream to Tikal as he rested for the moment. Tails spun to face Knuckles suspiciously, "…Just how many steps were those drones behind you?"

"…Why do you ask?"

Loud, violent bangs boomed as the sealed door thumped, it appeared that someone was trying to break through from the outside in. Tails looked at Knuckles and crossed his arms, "_That's_ why."

Knuckles grimaced; the thought of hundreds of metal, titanium androids trying to break down a door being held by a single red echidna didn't sit too well in his stomach. Knuckles looked at Tikal and Tails, "You guys better get going, I think I can hold them off for a few seconds.

Tikal gasped, appalled at the thought of leaving a comrade behind and Tails frowned.

"Bullshit!"

"Impossible!"

Knuckles sighed at the mixed reactions, "Look, Tikal you guys need to find the others and help them out, and take care of Cream too. I'll be right behind you guys in a matter of seconds, and Tails, if I ever hear you say another word like that again, I'll call Sonic here so fast, your head will still be spinning when he paddles you."

Tails huffed, "Still, I am NOT all for leaving you out here to hang!"

"No he's right," Tikal placed a hand on Tails' shoulder as she brought her gaze to meet Knuckles' eyes, "He is right. The others shall need our assistance. We cannot wait any longer and allow any more time to slip through our fingers."

"Well, you promise you'll follow us right after you buy us time?" Tails asked tentatively.

"I promise," Knuckles noogied the top of Tails' head, "Now get lost!"

Tikal beamed at the guardian one last time before she knew off, with Cream resting in her arms. Tails looked at Knuckles a moment longer before he followed the flying echidna. Knuckles watched until the three of them entered a door. Knuckles stood outside of the door, "You guys all good in there?"

The princess's soft voice answered, "Yes Knuckles, indeed we are."

Knuckles nodded his head then looked at the number pin-code pad beside the door. Tails and Tikal were only able to access the door because it had been left open but now that they had closed it, there was no way Knuckles was getting in. And the echidna wanted to make sure that no one else would either.

With a flick of his hand, he raked his knuckled-fist over the number key-pad. A couple of sparks sprayed as the device was destroyed efficiently. From the other side of the door, muffled footsteps approached, "Knuckles? What was that?"

"Don't worry," Knuckles smiled, "You guys are safe, I'll take care of everything."

"What is he speaking of?" Tikal seemed to be addressing Tails, "I am awaiting your reply, Knuckles!"

Knuckles placed a hand to the door, and smiled lightly, "…Take care of her Tails…"

He turned on his heel and spun to walk toward the damaged, breaking door. All the way he trekked towards the intruding foes; he ignored the cries of his allies, "Knuckles! What did you do? We can't open the door!"

"Knuckles! Knuckles? Are you there? Answer me!"

"Let us out!"

The door unhinged violently as a flock of android drones flooded in the room. They scanned the room vigorously until they detected one of their targets. In their path stood a single echidna.

"Knuckles open the door!"

"Knuckles! Please, you cannot do this! Listen to us!"

But their pleas went through one ear and out the other as Knuckles slowly approached the robotic crowd. He draped toward them ominously, with his eyes hidden within thick shadows.

"_Power Flash_!"

* * *

"Oh!" Amy blinked numbly, feeling air streak by. She had been vaguely aware that Achilles had dived for her, and if it had not been for the lightning-fast reflexes of her favorite blue hedgehog. 

…But by removing Amy from Achilles' path, Sonic had accidentally left Daisy in Achilles' warpath. But Scythe was quick enough to erase the blunder and appear before her, "Who are you aiming for? Your fight's with me _little brother_."

Achilles smiled as he rose to his feet, "But does it really matter? All of you shall be terminated in a matter of seconds."

Scythe narrowed his eyes and threw a punch at the golden hedgehog and received nothing but air for his efforts. Sonic and the girls back away from the fight, trying to distance themselves. Achilles grin grew and Scythe followed his attack with another punch, having the same success as his previous attempt; none.

"Dear brother," Achilles crooned, "Is _this_ what you meant to do?"

Achilles struck Scythe in the face with a blow as fluid as water. And while his older sibling was stumbling, Achilles took the opportunity to smash him in the ribs with a kick. Scythe hit the floor grimacing as Achilles stood a ways from him, looking at him with a perfect smile, "Funny, I thought since you're my older brother, you should be showing me the ropes!"

The ebony and silver hedgehog sat up with a snarl as his eyes ignited terribly, "How could you kill your own creator, your 'father' as you oh so loving call him?"

Briefly, Achilles' smile disappeared and he answered humorlessly, "Last time I checked, you came to kill him yourself. And since I killed him, you morn? So when someone else beats you to the punch, it's a tragedy but if you killed him, you'd be twiddling your thumbs happily; just proves how much of a hypocrite you are."

Daisy blinked, startled by the sudden change in the other yellow hedgehog. Now that she saw him stone-faced she thought to actually like the insane, grinning facade better. Scythe spat to his side, "How dare you even think you did me a favor! Our situations are completely different!"

The flaxen hedgehog stared at him wordlessly, and although he stared at him forebodingly, he waited, prompting Scythe to continue. Scythe shook his head, "Eggman treated me no better than the ground you walk on, he even tried to kill me. Meanwhile you were born being showered with what appeared to be…"

Scythe threw his hand into the air impatiently, "Whatever, the point is he trusted you. I never betrayed his trust like you, even the _little_ he did give me. Hell, if he even treated me half as well as he treated you; I probably wouldn't have half of the problems that I do."

Achilles narrowed his blue eyes as he watched Scythe rise to his feet. The black and silver hedgehog in his vision pointed at him, "So that's why I'm going to finish this whole, damn world domination thing. I'll wipe out Eggman's plans completely; I'll start with you, then destroy this lab, and finish with myself."

A stale silence hung in the air heavily, as everyone digested Scythe's words, even Rouge and Achilles remained quiet. Achilles stared at his brother levelly, as if reevaluating him. The thick silence broken when Daisy choked out a sobbed reply, "…Is this true? Is that how you really feel about yourself? I don't think anything's wrong with you…I don't want you to die! So don't say stupid stuff like that! 'Cause I like you a lot! Really! We all do!"

Scythe turned and looked at Daisy, for one of the few times in a friendly manner, "…What?"

"Don't worry pseudo sister," Achilles replied flatly, the small yellow hedgehog looked at him blankly, "He speaks as if he'll _actually_ get the chance to carry out his plans."

He looked at Sonic, Amy, and Daisy with a sweeping gaze and ended with Scythe, "Maybe you're right brother, perhaps I am wrong for betraying the trust of our creator that you have toiled for vainly. And maybe you are the better 'son' between the two of us…But either way, I don't care."

A quick, fiendish smile curled on Achilles' face as he darted toward Sonic. The blue blur frowned as he managed to avoid Achilles' blow with a backwards somersault. But what took Sonic by surprise was the moment he caught Achilles hovering in mid-air. He smiled at the shocked expression on Sonic's face and head-butted him in the stomach.

Before Achilles could deliver another blow, Scythe grabbed one of his legs. Achilles gazed back with a frown and kicked Scythe akin to a bucking bronco. Scythe hit a wall with a satisfying thud and slid down slightly. Daisy scrambled to his side and began to shake him, hoping to rouse him back to clear consciousness.

He opened his eyes just in time to see a charging Amy Rose encroach Achilles. Achilles smiled and landed beside Rouge, who wisely removed herself from his path. He picked up furniture and began hurling assorted office furniture; chairs, bookshelves, even a loveseat.

But, the barrage of flying furniture didn't stop Amy as she twirled her hammer skillfully, as one would spin a baton. It didn't matter what Achilles threw at her because she smashed it without breaking a stride.

When Amy thought she was in a safe enough distance to strike, she hopped on top of a desk and brought the hammer above her head with a cry. This round, Achilles decided to throw a steel desk at the pink hedgehog.

Both the sheer force and weight of the metal desk stopped Amy midair and brought her to the ground with the desk on top of her. The heavy metal desk dug into her skin and blood welled.

* * *

Shadow skid to a halt in a silent hallway. However, his interest was perked when he saw a flicking light. He headed down the hallway at a cautious stride. The farther he traveled down the hall, the more suspicious things became. 

He stopped at another hallway, with this one being littered with broken, smoky androids. The lights had been completely destroyed in this area, only the glowing number-key pads and door lights protected the room from complete darkness.

With each passing step in the hallway, Shadow heard loud crunches under his feet, and smelt a burnt metallic tang. It must have come from his shoes passing over metal. He disabled the fire setting in his shoes and chose to walk normally.

His eyes strolled over the fallen metal solider numbly, thinking nothing of the pooling oil in the hallway. He stopped in the middle of the hallway when he finally found something to care about in the metal clutter.

Lying in the middle of the floor, face-down was a red echidna under a beam of ceiling light. It was almost as if Heaven herself was illuminating the echidna with a single shaft of light.

* * *

"Amy!" Sonic cried stricken. 

He, as well as Daisy, went to the desk. Amy kicked and struggled wildly, claiming that the desk was crushing her. Sonic looked at Daisy, and they both began to try to remove the desk. And when they both finally were able to elevate the desk high enough, Amy rolled from under the desk seconds before it dropped.

"Amy…" Sonic said, unsure of how to begin. His trembling hands hovered over the fallen girl unsurely. At times he'd even pull his hands away from her, in fear that he'd deteriorate her condition.

In the center of her abdomen was a shallow, yet long laceration across her stomach. A dark red fluid seeped from the wound. Sonic sadly glanced at Amy's face, where her opaque green eyes fluttered, battling for consciousness.

Daisy reached for Amy's hand mutely. Her chocolate eyes were filled with tears. She watched as Sonic ran a gentle hand through the ribbon-like strands of Amy's quills. His warm emerald gaze iced when he head approaching footsteps, Achilles loomed with his large smile in place.

"Shortcake," Sonic said, "Watch over Amy. Her wound won't kill her, she'll live."

Sonic stood, with an unusually nasty glare in place. Daisy gulped silently as she took in Sonic's new glare; someone was certainly in trouble now. Achilles approached with a smile, "You're right about one thing, the flesh wound won't kill her…but I shall…"

"Achilles," his ears twitched and he turned to look at Rouge, she pointed behind him, "Don't get careless."

The golden hedgehog studied Rouge momentarily before he turned to look behind him. Scythe stood with a clenched fist and a hazardous stare. Achilles didn't need to be a mind reader to know that his brother was lusting for a fight, it was as plain as day on his face, "Before you stray off, fight me."

Achilles shrugged, "Fine. Then let's fight."

Scythe leapt from his previous spot and appeared before his sibling in a black blur. Scythe flooded Achilles with quick torrents of punches, blows that were much too quick for any normal bystander to catch.

Even Rouge, who was cooped up in the corner of the room, had to concentrate to read each blow. But it certainly didn't take a pro to see who was getting the better of the fight. Halfway through his assault, he was grimacing, swinging much less accurately as Achilles dodged, leapt, and maneuvered as gracefully as any ballerina.

Sonic grimaced; he could see exactly what was going to happen: Scythe was going to burn himself out, as Achilles was counting on, and then the sick hedgehog would pounce. Achilles smiled as he dodged one last punch and swung behind his brother. Achilles hit him with three kicks to the back before Scythe even knew he was behind him.

Daisy gasped as Scythe spilled to the floor ungracefully. But Scythe had much more pride, and fight, to stay down. He rose to his feet and charged at his brother. Only this time, he changed up his aggressive tactic and attacked much less. This enabled Achilles to take the initiative in the fight.

He grabbed a handful of dark quills and rammed Scythe's face repeatedly against his knee. With each thump, Achilles' laughter grew louder and more vibrant. Daisy shuddered at the horrific sight as her eyes went wide.

Finally he broke the grapple off with a hard right to the face, and Scythe stumbled back and collapsed, panting on his knees. Achilles stood over him triumphantly with his hands on his hips, a bright smile fixed on his face, "What? Is that all the fight you have? I--"

Scythe rose to his feet and began attacking again, with much more vigor. Achilles' Cheshire cat grin stayed ever present on his face as he moved as lithe and as smoothly as a cat. The elder of the two brothers felt himself beginning to fall to the will of fatigue, but Achilles looked as if he hadn't even broken a sweat, and to rub salt in the wound, he placed his hands behind his back, "…Look, no hands!"

The cyborg gritted his teeth and continued to plow, and Achilles continued to spout off, "Perhaps you should aim lower, or higher…you know, take me by surprise!"

The black hedgehog trudged on painstakingly; not only were his attacks not working, but Achilles was taunting him. Throwing out cute, helpful quips left and right. But what was most discouraging about the gold hedgehog's taunting were not his words, but his voice.

It sounded gleeful and held no traces of exhaustion. So what was going for him in the fight? He hadn't landed a single blow, Achilles wasn't tired and was continuously draining his morale with each passing second, and not to mention that the gold hedgehog was making him look weak before a certain yellow hedgehog…

The worst part of the situation was… that he was actually trying to sock it to his brother! Even as hard as he fought, it was useless. What good was wearing your heart on your sleeve, if one was receiving no fruits for their labor? With each passing second he was slowly beginning to believe that…

This time, Achilles merely slapped Scythe in the face, just hard enough to leave a sting, "Brother, I believe it is obvious that you are no match for me."

"Shut up…" Scythe threw an ill-aimed punch at Achilles. The gold hedgehog barely moved to his left and swatted his brother in the face again, "…Maybe once upon a time you were useful..."

"Shut up!" Scythe threw a much wilder punch. This time, Achilles barely moved his head, and followed through with another swat to the face, "But now that I exist…You're obsolete."

"_I said shut up_!"

He threw a slower punch that Achilles merely craned his neck to avoid, another slap followed, "Archaic."

Another terrible punch followed.

"Dated."

A slower jab.

"Old-fashioned."

A worse punch followed.

"Useless."

An expression washed with both anger and strain stretched over Scythe's face. With the last blow he sent at Achilles, his brother didn't even have to move to avoid it. Achilles shook his head, then smacked Scythe one last time with a much harder blow to the face. And Scythe plummeted as gravity guaranteed. The gold hedgehog loomed over his brother dangerously, with a disgusted sneer on his face, "…Weak."

He jerked Scythe off of the floor by his ear and forced him on his knees, forcing him to stare into blazing blue eyes, "Now that I have been brought into this world, you no longer have a purpose. You have been replaced. You are like an old, antique television, it was some good in its day, but now that the new model has shown up, you place nowhere near my ranks. You are inferior!"

Achilles dropped a blank-eyed Scythe to the floor. What a nice, perfect example his brother had used to describe him. An outdated, old model of some sort. And even when he fought against his brother, although he wouldn't admit it to himself, he knew that Achilles was better, irrefutably better.

He hadn't even managed to make him break a sweat. Scythe stared at the floor numbly, allowing the recent words to swirl around in his head. At once, he began to feel extremely sick to his stomach.

"…Obsolete…" Scythe murmured impassively.

"I've had enough of this," Sonic hissed disgustedly.

"Scythe!" Daisy screamed, heartbroken, "Don't you DARE believe his words!"

Sonic narrowed his eyes, "Fight with me, since you obviously need a challenge."

Achilles looked at Sonic, "…Well Sonic. I was planning on finishing my weaker brother first…I suppose I can fit you into my schedule." Rouge tensed and crossed her arms, "…Just take him out already! The sooner we get rid of the bigger threats, the less we have to deal with."

Sonic tossed his walkie-talkie to Daisy, who appeared surprised that she was able to catch his throw, "Here shortcake. Watch over Ames, I'm going to give this guy a major reality check. Listen incase the others decide to contact us."

Daisy nodded her head and peered at the large walkie-talkie. She gulped, hoping that if she received a signal, she'll know how to respond. Wait! Instead of waiting for them, why not contact them? Daisy's eyes glinted as a fresh, hot idea brewed in her head.

* * *

Tails and Tikal were in lower spirits, thinking the worst for Knuckles. His sacrifice had been noble to say the least. They didn't know exactly what had happened outside of their walls, but they certainly heard the deafening explosion. 

The young genius sighed sadly as he plucked at his two tails despondently, and Tikal looked as if she was on the verge of releasing the Niagara Falls. Cream sat motionlessly in the room, staring at a blank wall; Tikal had managed to heal her, but on her return into consciousness, she was greeted with sadness, learning about Knuckles.

Tails wiped his nose with the back of his hand as Tikal burst into tears, slumping to the floor. Cream remained silent, playing with her hands. Tails looked at her sadly as he fought off a batch of his own tears, "…Don't cry Tikal, he wouldn't want that…"

"He's gone! Oh he's gone!" She wailed, face contorted by misery, "I wasted all that time! I'll never tell him how I loved him so! _Sit mortuus! EGO sum repletus per a flumen of moestitia_!"

Another sea of tears fell from the weeping monarch, and she wailed in an old, unrecognizable tongue. Tails looked skyward and shook his head remorsefully. Things just weren't good at all today…and they didn't even know how the others were fairing. The static of a radio filled the silent air, _"…Please, someone, please come in!" _

The golden fox picked up the radio without even removing his eyes from the floor, "…What?"

_"Eggman's released another experiment, an insane experiment!"_ Daisy said shrilly.

"Well, that's a surprise," Tails bit sarcastically.

_"It's…it's the worst thing I've ever seen…he killed him…" _

Tails perked up, as Cream turned to look at him, "What did you say?"

_"It…Achilles, killed Eggman, as soon as he told his creation to kill us…"_ Daisy griped.

"Oh…" Tails searched for words, but was too surprised to find any real intelligent ones, "So now what?"

_" 'So now what?'"_ Daisy asked incredulously, "_I was hoping you'd tell us something resourceful." _

"We just lost Knuckles…How about that for resourceful…" Tails said with an edge to his voice.

Daisy was silent briefly, "_Well, where are you guys? What about Shadow? Is he with you? He still isn't here yet." _

Tails sighed, "We haven't seen him…Things just keep getting better and better…"

Both he and Cream exchanged sharp glances. The echidna princess shook her head sadly; now barely mumbling her ancient dialect; the thought of Knuckles being dead drove her wild with despair.

Even _if _she returned to Angel Island, things wouldn't be the same; without the guardian, the Island would be unbearably lonely; a hell in itself for her. Aquamarine eyes swept the surroundings; they appeared to have been stationed in a dark computer lab.

Tikal had little knowledge of technology; she barely knew what a computer was, and that was all due in part to Knuckles' information swapping. The echidna princess reached for the door, hoping to lean on it and incidentally; her hand went through it. Tikal blinked stupidly, as realization hit her. She turned to Tails, calling his name repeatedly.

But when he failed to turn around fast enough, the princess bopped him upside the head, "Hey! Whaat? What is it?" Tikal performed the hand-disappearing through the wall trick for him again and smiled at his gapping mouth, "Holy cow! I totally forgot about that! I mean, we were all caught up with Knuckles and--"

Tikal shook her head with a smile, "Think nothing of it. Perhaps I have an idea…"

"And perhaps I'd like to hear it."

"You shall stay here with little Cream. Meanwhile I shall search for either the dark hedgehog, or the other companions. And as you reside in here, you can study the computers."

Tails' eyes lit up, "As in try to hack the computers and find out valuable information?" Tikal looked unsurely at Tails, "…Um, yes, you shall 'hack', as I shall seek out the others. And perhaps I shall find Knuckles and restore him to his proper stature. Just as I did with little Cream."

Tails looked up hopefully at Tikal, "Sounds good Tikal. And remember, if you get lost, come back here immediately, we're room A-09, okay?"

The princess nodded her head, "I comprehend. Farewell Tails…may your 'hacking' go well."

Tails grin erupted, "Likewise Tikal. Find the others!"

A translucent Tikal smiled at the two-tailed fox as she passed through the wall. She reappeared in a hallway littered with broken metal drones. Tikal sensed another presence in the room and nimbly turned to face the person. Her war scowl faded from her face as she landed behind a familiar hedgehog. She tilted her head slightly, "…Dark hedgehog?"

_

* * *

_

Sonic puffed deep breaths as he stared down Achilles. They stood no more than twenty feet away from each other, and yet either combatant moved. The blue hero was stuck, trying to formulate a plot while Achilles was beaming at him brightly.

Wait a minute, _Sonic _trying to think of a plan!? As incredible as it may be, Sonic wasn't an idiot like everyone thought he was. Sure he may be a risk-taker, a gambler, a joker, maybe even a hothead, but the blue hero wasn't stupid.

Deep green eyes were creased in thought; charging half-cocked with adreniline blaring at a foe as powerful as Achilles wasn't moronic, it was suicidal. The blue champion flexed his fingers as he thought; there had to be some way to attack Achilles. He may be powerful but he certainly wasn't impervious.

Sonic bared his teeth; he was going to make sure that by the end of today, even if he died here, Achilles was going to know that he was mortal and bled red just like everyone else. Bet on it. Achilles was going to bleed through Sonic's manipulation. The gold hedgehog smiled at him shamelessly, as he did anyone else, "Well?"

The blue hero closed his eyes, feeling power stir in his body, then unleashed his attack, "Sonic Wind!"

Achilles dodged the attack effortlessly and sprang up beside him. Sonic dodged his first few blows masterfully before Achilles began to pummel with attacks. Sonic defended himself with his hands as Achilles seized the moment and tripped him.

However, before the blue hedgehog could fall to the floor, Achilles struck him with a heel to the stomach. Sonic slid on the floor before he popped up, glaring at the smiling hedgehog. He heard a light cackle from the far side of the room.

He turned to see Rouge smiling at him, "My, my, my, only if Eggman could have lived to see this moment! Sonic being blown away by his very experiment! So how does it feel to loose, O blue hero? Karma is a nasty thing."

Sonic ignored the large gashes on his face, on the pain he felt when he smiled, "…Who said I was losin'?"

"Oh please," Rouge rolled her eyes, "You have yet to touch him. The world greatest hero can't even beat a hedgehog who's been in this world for less than ten minutes!"

Then Rouge smiled smugly at him, "Oh by the way, if I was you, I'd watch who you were fighting…"

Sonic snapped around to be greeted with a fist to the face. Daisy grimaced slightly as she watched Sonic skid painfully against the floor. Daisy eagerly turned to face Scythe and tapped his shoulder lightly, "Scythe, please, you have to help Sonic. Neither of you can stop him on your own! He's…too powerful!"

The pigtailed hedgehog frowned slightly as she thought to herself outloud,"…I have no idea what Eggman did to that hedgehog…but if we want to live tomorrow, you're going to have to help Sonic!"

Scythe shook his head, "…He's right, he is more powerful than I…you saw our fight…"

Daisy gasped, "So you're going to give up? Just because he's a little stronger? And faster?"

"You wouldn't understand," Scythe shook his head, "I'm outclassed in every way. He is correct, I'm inadequate to stop him."

Achilles' laughter rang out in the lab. Daisy turned to see a staggering Sonic rising to stand to his feet. Then Daisy frowned at Scythe angrily, "Well! I never thought I'd say this to you of all people…but how could you quit?"

She pointed told Sonic, with her brown eyes glinting fiercely, "Do you see him quitting? He's taken blow for blow, just like you! But when he falls, he gets right back up…or at least he tries to. If he falls here today, with his last breath being in this laboratory, then he can die proudly, knowing that he lived his last seconds as a hero, with no regrets."

Scythe looked from Daisy, then to Sonic. True, the blue hedgehog had taken quite a beating, with blood leaking from multiple wounds, but just as Daisy said, when Sonic hit the floor violently, he slowly made his way to his feet, and glared at Achilles with valiant, green eyes.

"You know, you once had that spark in your eyes," Daisy began flatly, "But it fizzled out somewhere along the lines when you began to actually _listened_ to the gold bastard."

Scythe glanced up at Daisy, uncustomary to hearing such coarse words flow from her lips. But Daisy seemed to think nothing of it. She finally returned her eyes on him, "That _spark_, was what made me fall head over heels for you…But, I guess since you won't help Sonic, then I will."

Daisy turned her back to him and glared, searching the lab for an adequate weapon. Scythe stared at her, appalled, "You can't fight him! You don't even know any self defense."

With the glare she presented Scythe, it looked like she took one out of his book, "War changes people. Or maybe I should say seeing valor changes people."

The petite hedgehog found a pipe and wretched it from the ground. When she turned to face Achilles, she took a deep breath, calming her nerves, and charged at him furiously. Scythe watched wordlessly, as Daisy rushed at the gold hedgehog.

The innocent girl that had played teatime with him and served him pastries a few months ago was now rushing headstrong into battle with a pipe in hand with the intentions of denting in a skull. Something about that idea made Scythe's stomach flip.

Sonic received an elbow to the face, leaving him to sputter around in a daze. Scythe felt himself freeze as she saw Achilles turn just in time to face an approaching Daisy. She swung the pipe in a horizontal arch, hoping to strike Achilles right across the chest. Her swing ended abruptly as Achilles held onto the other side of the steel pipe.

To even accent her bad precision, he lifted the pipe a couple of inches so she comically dangled above the floor. Smiling, Achilles shook the pipe slightly so Daisy swung her legs. Achilles laughed at the sight as Daisy gasped, feeling air beneath her feet.

She finally dared a look at the gold hedgehog. One bronze eye opened, then the other and Achilles greeted her with warm smile, "Have things gotten so dire that my pseudo sister has decided to attack me?"

Daisy stared wordlessly at Achilles, her face settled into an unfriendly scowl. She attempted to kick him, but she fell a couple of inches short, as her small stature worked against her. Achilles laughed even harder, "Too bad I have to kill you pseudo sister, you're entertaining."

He shrugged and dropped the pipe, so that Daisy hit the floor. Then he picked up the steel duct again and smiled at the false brave frown she presented. The pigtailed hedgehog frowned; she was going to give him a fight juts like Sonic! She was going to come at him until her last breath.

With this thought in mind Daisy rushed at the gold hedgehog again, but this time she was grabbed by her short pigtails. He leaned her backwards as she groped the air helplessly. The red haze in Sonic's vision was just beginning to settle when he set his sight on the sweet little Shortcake struggling in Achilles' grasp.

The same insane smile that he wore at the time of Eggman's death was present on his face. Accompanying the grin where light, sapphire blue eyes in place of his usually deep, ocean-blues. Sonic staggered, rushing over to Daisy, "No! Stop! Don't hurt her!"

Sonic heard her squeak and he heard the thick crack of a snapping bone. His breath froze as he stopped moving, watching the scene intently. In place of Daisy, Achilles had swung the pipe and hit one of Scythe's arms.

If memory served the blue hedgehog correctly, Achilles hit the humorous bone; that stupid anatomy class he barely scraped by did actually help. Scythe snarled defensively at Achilles and moved a good distance away to set Daisy down. The yellow hedgehog looked at him with big, hopeful eyes. "Scythe?"

"Don't," he replied, keeping his eyes glued on Achilles, " 'Cause if I look at you…I won't be able to take my eyes off of you…"

Daisy's face rosed, "What does that mean?"

The smile erased from Scythe's face as he held his arm and glared at Achilles. His brother watched him utterly amused. He leaned on the pipe, watching his brother approach him. Scythe stopped a couple of feet before him when he drew himself into a fighting stance.

Something clicked in Achilles' head; just where had this new, renewed vigor come from? This was something he had to find out for himself, "You want to face me brother? Just moments ago you were sniveling on the ground."

Scythe glared at him ominously, not saying a word. Achilles' smile turned slightly self-righteous, "…So what did it take to awaken you from your almost catatonic state?"

"Let's just fight," Scythe huffed, voice and anger controlled. He bounced on his toes, waiting.

Achilles shrugged and threw the pipe at his brother. Scythe ducked and slid away from Achilles. His back arched and he bared his teeth as he felt power surge threw his body, "_Raging Lance_!"

Amused, Achilles darted to and fro, avoiding the silver sparks of pulsating energy. He managed to make his way behind Scythe and struck him with a kick to the back.

The older of the two brothers fell flat on his stomach and with a furious roar, front flipped to his feet. Scythe slid on the floor, trying to slide-tackle his brother, but Achilles read the move and rose into the air momentarily, before he crashed on his brother and straddled him.

Scythe fought furiously, trying to remove Achilles at all costs, but the gold hedgehog merely smiled as he twisted Scythe's broken arm. The prototype screwed up his face in all efforts to hold back a scream. Achilles looked at him happily, "So tell me brother, do you have feelings for our pseudo sister? Hmm?"

His older brother snarled but did not answer him. Achilles' smile turned malignant, "You know…my data tells me that you were created to be a late adolescent. Like Eighteen or nineteen or so. And how old she is? Twelve? Ten?"

"Fourteen you bastard…" he hissed, normally, he wouldn't have answered, but he had to take his mind off the searing pain burning in his crushed arm, "And what damn business is it of yours who I like?"

"As your brother, I think you're far too old for her," Achilles said, "You sicko."

"Well," Scythe hissed, "Who gives a damn what you think?"

Achilles shrugged, "Well, I can't say I approve, but I can promise one thing…that you'll both be enjoying your afterlives together."

Scythe's mind wandered as he saw his brother prepare to deliver what looked to be the final blow. Already the pain was fogging his mind, but he was completely gone when he began to dwell on other thoughts, the ones that he always tended to push out of his mind.

'_So, this is it huh_," he thought blankly, '_I've had a near death experience before…but I'm sure_ _pretty boy here is gonna finish the job this time…And who the hell does care if I like that ditzy yellow hedgehog? She's actually kind of cute when she gets mad…but she may even become a babe when she's a few years older…Aww hell, who am I kidding? I'm in love with that whiny, annoying brat.' _

Scythe laughed viciously, completely out of his mind, "I can't believe it, I'm in love with that annoying, bratty girl…"

"Enjoy your afterlife," Achilles smiled wickedly.

Daisy screamed shrilly as Achilles brought his hand down toward Scythe. Before he could finish the blow, Achilles stopped suddenly, with the smile dissolving from his face. He glanced to his left shoulder to see a sharp glass shard lanced through his shoulder. Sonic stood a few feet from him, with his arm still stretched out from the throw.

Achilles looked to his shoulder, face exposed in complete shock as a red liquid leaked from the wound. Achilles' surprise instantly changed to pure, unfurled rage. He stood and impatiently yanked the glass shard from his shoulder, ignoring the sound of ripping flesh as he did so.

For a moment a trace of a smirk appeared on the blue hero's sweat-caked face, _'Ha, you bleed just like all of us. How do you like that, bastard?' _But his smile quickly erased itself as Achilles spun to face his ominously.

He pointed the red-coated shard at Sonic as his eyes blazed alit with a terrible fury. His voice had lost every last drop of mirth, "I shall bring you unbridled pain in your last moments of your pathetic life."

Achilles chucked the icy, glass splinter at Sonic, and had it not been for his super-sonic reflexes, he would have been a blue hero, minus a head. Ignoring the leaking wound in his shoulder, Achilles stomped over to Sonic grimly, with his cerulean eyes fading into a deep coal.

* * *

Tails and Cream stood side by side as they gazed at the computer. Numbers scrolled on the screen a mile a minute, disappearing almost as fast as they appeared. Tails nodded his head, then turned to look at Cream, "Let's begin then, shall we?" 

The young fox fitted his fingers comfortably over the computer's keyboard and began to meticulously ticker on the buttons. Cream watched silently, hoping that whatever Tails was doing, he was having a successful go at it.

A couple of times, Tails stopped working on the keyboard and stared at the large screen thoughtfully. After another bout of endless clicking keys, Tails smiled happily as the numbers dissolved, "Bingo!"

Cream perked up, "You figured it out Tails?"

"Yeah," Tails nodded his head, eyes scanning the data, "Sure I had to override some programs in the process, but we have to find out about this new creation of his…"

New data and pictures popped up on the screen. Blueprints, notes, numbers, and garbled records appeared on the screen. The makings of project Achilles were all sitting before them conveniently, like a nifty how-to book. Tails read and reread the data carefully, processing the information, "Cream, get the radio, we've got a lot to tell our friends…"

A frantic cry cracked over the radio, it sounded tearful, "_Oh please! Someone help us! He's gone crazy_! Crazy!_ I'm--"_

* * *

Shadow and Tikal traveled the halls with a newly revved Knuckles. The guardian smiled as he ran beside his friends; when Tikal said she had the ability to heal, she _meant _she had the ability to heal! When Tikal placed her hands upon him, whatever energy she sent into him seemed to have super-charged him. He felt brand spankin' new. 

Also, Knuckles was shocked, and pleasantly surprised after being revived, Tikal tackled him with a hug and began crying happily. She spoke in rapid echidna, and the red warrior was glad for it, with the looks Shadow gave him. But Knuckles felt himself go rather warm in the face when he caught Tikal's request of a marriage.

In the ancient echidna culture, as Tikal had taught him, it was customary for the female to 'request' a marriage with a male she favored, and it the male's decision to accept. Another echidna wedding tradition was for the betrothed to exchange precious gifts.

…So did Knuckles accept the marriage proposal?

If the large grin on his face wasn't enough of a clue, he wore one of Tikal's treasured blue-jade bracelets on his right arm, as she wore one of his large gloves. He didn't have anything nicer to give her, and even offered her one of his socks, but Tikal took the glove happily. Knuckles promised that later, he'd find something much more valuable.

And through out the entire romantic duration between the two echidnas, Shadow didn't understand a single thing. But of course the ultimate life form was able to pick up on the strong feelings between the two.

Knuckles sighed happily as he looked at Shadow, who was gliding beside him, then he looked up to see Tikal soaring through the air; with this force, who could possibly stand against them? Moments when Shadow wasn't watching either of them, Tikal and Knuckles would exchange dreamily smiles, or winks.

"They are in the door ahead of us," Shadow said, breaking the silence.

Knuckles looked at Tikal warmly, "Ready?"

Tikal smiled, "Indeed I am."

Simultaneously, the three of them burst into the large red room. The room's lights had been smashed as glass littered the floor and furniture was overturned. There were long trails of a dark colored fluid on the floor. Shadow stepped further into the room, being flanked by the two silent echidnas. Had he not heard the soft voice, he would have stepped on the fallen person, "…Sha…dow?"

Shadow stopped his foot mid-step and looked at Amy, "…Rose hedgehog?" Shadow took a knee as Tikal and Knuckles rushed to her aid. He shook Amy when her foggy green eyes threatened to close, "Speak, what it is?"

"He..lp…them," Amy pleaded weakly.

Tikal placed her hands upon Amy and began to heal her. When the echidna princess elevated her eyes, she froze, "…Oh…my…goodness…"

Shadow and Knuckles looked up, regretting that they did so. The first sight was of a gasping Scythe, strung to a wall with two glass splints pinning him through his shoulders. Dark fluid seeped heavily from his wounds and crawled down the walls. Daisy was squashed under a heavy, long metal lab table screaming vehemently in pain.

But unlike Amy, there was no one to remove the table. Tears muddled her face as she cried, gasping. But she was desperately reaching her hand toward something. Shadow spied Rouge huddled in the corner of the room fearfully, gazing at the blue hero; although she looked scared out of her mind, she looked unscathed.

The last sight sent chills down Shadow's spine. Sonic hung limply, with numb green eyes in the hands of another hedgehog. It looked as if his attacker had decided to finish him off by squeezing the last ounces of juice out of him.

The blue-eyed creature was as golden as Shadow was dark. Achilles slowly turned his gaze to stop on Shadow. The lifeless, zombie façade on his face disappear as a wicked smile stole its place, "My name's Achilles, what's yours?"

* * *

To be continued! 

Chapter Twenty eight Theme_: "Wake up"- Alicia Keys _


	29. Love's Burn: Shadow walks

**_UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: _**

**_LoVe'S bUrN _**

_By: UlTrAa ShAdDow _

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did! _

_-_Fasten your seatbelts Ladies and Gents! We're drawing to our conclusion and enjoy the super helping of the second-to-last chapter of Love's Burn…It's guaranteed to be a ride…

_"**Love's Burn: **The unfathomable ocean of sorrow that taints one heart's when true love is lost…" _

_

* * *

_

_Third POV…. _

* * *

"Hi, my name's Achilles, what's yours?" 

Shadow's breath caught in his chest at the sight of the golden hedgehog. Of course it was appalling to find the room littered with the battered, almost lifeless bodies of his friends, but the thing that made Shadow's stomach lurch was that the new stranger had greeted him amiably. It seemed to matter little to the new hedgehog that in one hand he was straining the life from Sonic and in the other; he was waving to them, almost happily.

But behind the perfect, crest-white smile, and the amazing ocean-blue eyes, Shadow sensed a hidden, withdrawn disturbance; like the way the presence of a ghost touched a medium, the lunacy of the gold hedgehog haunted the ultimate life form.

Vaguely Shadow had forgotten that the gold hedgehog had asked them a question. It seemed as if he had been analyzing the new threat for hours, when in truth, only seconds had passed.

Knuckles glared at the stranger firmly as Tikal stared at him wide-eyed. Knuckles' eyes seemed to scorch as furiously as wildfire when he stepped forward, "You. Release. Sonic. _Now_."

"Oh this blue fool?" Achilles glimpsed at Sonic momentarily and smiled, "Make me."

His grin widened with a ruthful malice when his hand tightened around Sonic's neck. The blue hedgehog screamed weakly, feeling a new hot pulse of pain surge through his body. Knuckles jumped into action immediately as Tikal gasped, disbelieving the cruelness of Achilles' actions.

'_Truly_,' Tikal wondered, '_what has the terrible doctor created_?"

Tikal was hurled out of her thoughts as soon as a hand came down upon her shoulder; it was Shadow, "You must heal the others as you have done Knuckles." The echidna heiress nodded her head, "You must help Knuckles…I couldn't…please help him!"

"No," Shadow replied, his red eyes trailed off somewhere else, gazing at something from the corners of his eyes, "…I think I know someone else who could help us much more." Knuckles charged at Achilles, ignoring the growing grin on his face. The guardian narrowed his eyes and took to the air, gliding at the golden hedgehog.

"Hmm," Achilles hummed thoughtfully, "At first glance, I thought you were a girl with all that hair! But what a disappointment _that _turned out to be!"

"Well, we'll see if you're still talking like that by the time I'm through with you!" Knuckles hissed.

Achilles shrugged and hurled Sonic at an incoming Knuckles. Surprise lit up Knuckles' face as he found himself involuntarily catching his long time blue friend and rival; the catch was a reflex.

The flaxen hedgehog took the opportunity to ambush the red guardian when his hands were full; literally. The golden hedgehog jarred Knuckles in the stomach with a blow that brought the red guardian to his knees.

Knuckles grimaced slightly as he recoiled and sat Sonic off at a safe distance. He looked at his blue friend before he sped off to be right in Achilles' face again. Tikal landed beside a woozy Daisy. She looked to the Heavens as she summoned the strength to remove the heavy piano from the little girl hedgehog, "…Please, lend me your strength father…"

Gold rivulets of light spilled on the echidna princess. With a vicious shriek, she tossed the table off of Daisy. Finally, now that the main obstacle had been moved, Tikal would be able to heal. The monarch closed her eyes, took a deep breath and placed bright, glowing sapphire hands on the yellow hedgehog.

"Uh…"

Daisy slowly opened her eyes but only now,they were no longer opaque and numbed from pain. She quickly sat up as Tikal moved away from her, "…Wow, I feel better…" The princess smiled, "That is pleasant news to my ears. But now I must take care of the others. It would be wise for you to stay out of the gold hedgehog's warpath."

The little hedgehog watched Tikal ascend higher into the air until she came across a black and silver hedgehog. At first glance, the echidna princess was unsure whether or not the unfriendly antihero was alive.

But sure enough, he still had an aura, as all living things had; but an aura was an aura, even as faint as his was. But what surprised Tikal the most was the fact that Scythe's aura was no longer a dark gray but a warm rose. And instead of his normal bitter, dangerous glare, he looked at her with soft silver eyes, "…Am I in Heaven? I don't deserve this…"

The angelic being hovering before him smiled with aqua eyes shinning, "No, you still live, now rest as I heal your wounds…This is going to take awhile."

* * *

Knuckles panted as beads of sweat rolled down his face; the only thing that was saving him from having his rear handed to him on a silver platter were the pseudo upgrades Eggman had given him. 

And the more Knuckles fought the experiment, the less he liked him; once during their fight, he had hit the yellow freak _once_; his first lick he had gotten in on his powerful foe and that sent Achilles into hysterics.

The hedgehog went _ape_-wild; blue eyes wide and furious, roaring savagely, and throwing a barrage of punches a mile a minute and trying to kick the head right off of his shoulders.

He wasn't surprised at all that this was the creature who almost finished Sonic. But now that Knuckles wore a couple of decent gashes, it seemed that Achilles had settled back into his arrogant, smiling self again.

"…I admit echidna, you are actually a challenge," Achilles smiled, "You're putting up a fight, like my brother."

The guardian grimaced, hoping that Achilles didn't really just refer to Scythe as his brother; his brother who he strung up to a wall by thick shards of glass. That act wasn't what Knuckles considered to be brotherly.

"But like him, you shall find out that I am out of your league," Achilles stated.

"_Says who, bitch!_?"

A black and silver hedgehog appeared beside Knuckles; a renewed black and silver hedgehog. His silver eyes glinted icily as his smile was acidic. Achilles' smile disappeared, "…How?" But Scythe didn't even allow him to finish his sentence before he charged his brother, with Knuckles in tow. They both exchanged smiles and charged the stunned gold menace.

* * *

"…This experiment…is insane," Rouge hissed to herself, "If he's willing to turn on his creator…And knowing that the only thing saving me from such demise is a few of the Doctor's words… that's none too promising…" 

The huntress had wisely hidden herself behind a crevice in one of the newly smashed-in walls. She sat, with her knees curled in front of her as she bit one of her nails in thought. She furrowed her brows and marred her attractive face with worry as she thought of a plan.

"Maybe I'll have too--"

"You'll do no more, you evil woman!"

Rouge looked up to see a gloved palm no more than two inches away from her face. Behind the slender hand was an angry echidna female. Rouge scoffed, "And just what are you planning to do? Preach me to death?"

Tikal narrowed her eyes as Rouge rose to her feet to meet her eye-level. Just as Rouge turned to spin on her heel and leave, Tikal moved, "Do not move!"

Rouge turned to face Tikal with a sneer. Only this time, the huntress decided to deal with her much more cautiously when she noticed that the echidna's palm was glowing pink as were her eyes.

"Even with your pretty, sparkling powers," Rouge snickered, "You're still no match for me."

"Perhaps, but what about me?"

Rouge spun around to be face-to face with a tall black and red hedgehog. His gleaming red eyes seemed amused as Rouge stumbled back blindly, shocked from such a close encounter. Tikal hoisted Rouge into the air from a coarse grip around the neck and glared at her. Shadow stood beside Tikal and smirked slightly as he watched Rouge struggle in her unorthodox savage grip.

"…Now we can do this two ways. Either we do it my way…or you can answer to her."

Shadow hiked a thumb at Tikal who snarled and tightened her grip upon the bat's neck, "_Si vos operor non dico nos qua Vinco Emerald est , tunc EGO mos ligamen vos ut a parietis per vestri innards_…that means, if you do not tell us where the Master Emerald is, then I will string you to a wall with your innards."

Shadow stepped away from Tikal, in slight anxiety, "…The choice is yours."

Rouge's smiled turned shark-like, "Fine then, but call off your tribal-pixie friend."

Tikal's eyes sparked and she dropped Rouge un-ceremonially, and the huntress landed on her rear with her legs splayed; a very _un_lady-like way to be positioned in a dress. And had Tikal not been standing in front of Rouge, Shadow would have gotten a _very_ nice view. Emphasize on very nice.

Rouge rose to her feet, "Fine then, but are you sure you even have enough power to awaken the Emerald, twiggy?"

Tikal's eyes narrowed as Rouge twirled on her heel and began heading to another cove in the room. The second Rouge turned her back, Tikal roared and fired a flare of fuchsia energy. The attack was only deflected by the Shadow's inference. Tikal's eyes were still glowing furiously as she struggled in his grip, "That foul woman!"

Shadow held Tikal's wrist in his hand as he glared at her incredulously, "I never thought I'd be saying this to _you _of all people, but get a grip!" With a deep sigh, Tikal closed her eyes and recomposed herself, "If your woman does not return to her normal self, then know that I will be willing to flog it out of her."

Both Shadow and Tikal followed Rouge until she stopped before an air-locked door. The treasure huntress growled in frustration then turned to face her two followers, "It's locked! I can't access it."

"Sure you can."

Shadow moved before the door, and with two furious kicks wrenched the door off its track and busted it in half. Rouge gaped wordlessly as Shadow and Tikal enter the door. The black hedgehog had just bust down a pure titanium door with two menial kicks!

Rouge slowly slinked into the room after Shadow. She stopped beside him and stared at him intensely, "…Are you _sure_ you do not wish to join me?"

"Tikal, the emerald," Shadow replied, as if Rouge hadn't even asked the question.

Tikal glided over to an obsidian pillar and gazed at the Master Emerald. The emerald was jet-black and cold, unlike its usual self where it was green and pulsated with power. The echidna monarch placed a hand upon the emerald and smiled, "I am so glad to see you friend."

A wicker of green flashed briefly through the emerald in response to the girl's touch. Shadow and Rouge leaned forward slightly, silently captivated by scene before them. They watched Tikal and the great emerald with established interest.

"You are safe now," Tikal closed her eyes, "I ask you dear friend, please release your power, so we may be subject to them."

The room was enveloped in a bright green glow as the Master Emerald flared to life. The jewel itself was the pinnacle of the radiance. The new light grew to the intensity that both Shadow and Rouge had to shield their eyes.

The glowing emerald also brought a new rising warmth to the cold room; as if the Master Emerald had blanketed them all in a warm, mantle of energy. Shadow slowly lowered his arms from his impeded view and peered at the beaming emerald. The flare of the bright light reflected brilliantly in his irises.

Tikal floated in midair beside the jewel, looking at him blissfully. If he didn't know any better, he thought that he had spied tears on her face, "My friend, he is good of heart. And I believe that he will use your powers wisely. Lend the black hedgehog your powers and see!"

* * *

Both Knuckles and Scythe had enough wit to know that their only shot of defeating the potent hedgehog was to double-team the jerk. They both attacked Achilles simultaneously, sending blows at him left and right. 

But the only thing Achilles seemed to be getting out of the fight was entertainment. He looked nowhere close to fighting them seriously. And half of the time, he didn't attack. He glided, dodging their attacks effortlessly, smiling and laughing the entire way.

"I'm so _sick _of this bastard," Scythe hissed.

"That makes two of us then," Knuckles growled.

"Come on fellas," Achilles smiled, "I'm starting to get bored. Jeez, will I get a better fight out of the _girls_?"

Scythe's face distorted and gave into rage, "…_You lousy bastard_! _You won't get the chance to get near Daisy_…AGAIN!" Scythe bolted and flew at Achilles like a bullet. Knuckles saw the utter rage etched on his features and snapped his head to look at him, "Scythe! Get back here!"

But Scythe was beyond the control of words, even when Daisy yelled at him, he did not listen. Something had snapped inside the silver and black hedgehog's mind; maybe it was due to the fact that he had witnessed Achilles smashing a table threw Daisy's sternum.

And that the only thing he could do was watch helplessly as he was welded to the wall. Whatever the reason for his sudden vicious outburst, it closed him off completely to the outside world.

Scythe reached for his brother, but found only air. Achilles smiled as his brother threw multiple punches at him. The dark hedgehog's fists found only emptiness. Achilles retaliated with a remark, "Oh brother, I can't decide which one is your greater folly. Your sheer rage, or your adoration for our pseudo-sister."

The silver and black coated hedgehog narrowed his eyes and attempted a kick and missed his target completely. Achilles smiled at him as he watched his brother soar past him. When he saw Scythe's uncovered front, Achilles hit him with a blow that had a sickening crack.

Scythe's irises shrank to the size of pinpoints and he hit the floor with a thud. Daisy screamed as Knuckles ran to the hedgehog's aid. But Knuckles halted abruptly when he felt a tight grip on his quills. The guardian snarled and swung at Achilles, but with a nice tug on the quills, Knuckles stopped immediately with his head being jerked backwards. Within a matter of seconds, the great warrior was rendered helpless.

Achilles bent over Knuckles and smiled, "That blow I dealt to brother wasn't fatal, I just broke a couple of his ribs…But when I snap your neck, you shall die."

The golden hedgehog smiled terribly as he squeezed the red guardian's neck. Knuckles clenched his eyes tightly as he bit back the urge to scream out. He could feel Achilles' hands manipulating the bones in his neck and bending them to his will. A crushing, hot pain began to rise in the guardian's throat; his vision began to blur as the burning pressure slowly increased.

But Knuckles was dropped to the floor suddenly, as air rushed into his lungs sweetly. Knuckles coughed as he looked up, trying to figure out just what had caused Achilles to spare his life.

But then he blanched when he saw Tikal staring dead at him. Her hand was embellished in a glowing rose light. Achilles stared at the smoking scorch mark in the wall beside his head, then turned to look at her blankly.

"You will not touch him!" Tikal hissed, eyes burning dangerously.

"…Who are you?" Achilles asked as his set upon the slender tawny echidna. Another blitz of pink energy was flung at the gold hedgehog, this time missing him by mere centimeters, "Whoa…" Achilles looked at her with a dark smile, "Wanna fight?"

Tikal glowered, '_I hope this will buy you enough time to absorb the powers of the Master Emerald, dark hedgehog…_'

* * *

At first, Shadow was completely adverse to the idea of taking the energy of the Master Emerald. He had used the Chaos Emeralds and was familiar with their workings, but the Master Emerald was a different entity of its own. 

Tikal easily pointed out that using the power of the Master Emerald would be twice as powerful as the use of the Chaos Emeralds. But Shadow was sure that the Master Emerald, just like the Chaos Emeralds had its own set of weaknesses. With the Chaos Emeralds, the user of the ability had only a limited amount of time to use the super-charged abilities before time faded.

The princess promised that the only flaw with using the Master Emerald was that the user's emotions were much more powerful, and influenced the power of the Emerald. And as emotional as Shadow was…the power of the Master Emerald was in good hands. Shadow finally accepted the idea of relying on the Emerald's power when Tikal reminded him of how abysmal the others were doing against the insane, gold hedgehog.

With his hands on the Emerald, Shadow floated in the room as gallons of energy poured into him. He appeared meditative; eyes closed with a tranquil expression on his face. From a corner of the room, Rouge watched him as she rested against a nearby wall.

A cool, calculating façade was washed over the bat's face as she studied him intently. Instead of gauging him like an opponent, as she had been doing all this time, she was now thinking of him romantically; there was little doubt in her mind that the black hedgehog harbored strong feelings for her. Even although he began to hide it from her when she first sided with Eggman, she could still see it in his eyes.

But how did she feel about him? A surface thought came to mind, "…He's cute…"

Then, unexpectedly, a cascade of memories struck Rouge like a flare of white lightning; a simple thought triggered the following onslaught of memories to flow from her mind endlessly. She gasped as random images appeared before her. Each one held the night-hued hedgehog and herself.

…Shadow walking in a park with her…Shadow tickling her playfully… Shadow sleeping, exhausted and splayed almost comically on a couch…even a rather steamy, risqué memory of the black hedgehog stole her mind. In this vision she even got a snipet of an audio. The hedgehog stared at her with intense, passionate eyes.

"…_Do_ _you like it when I touch you like that, pretty lady? You're gorgeous mi amore…_"

Rouge shook her head, trying to jar such a filthy thought from her head. But at the same time, she fought back an urge to blush. One last image popped up before her, it was the same black hedgehog with a sincere, loving smile.

"_I love you Rouge, you're beautiful, amazing, fascinating…you're the only person I shall adore full heartedly." _

Finally, the last memory faded away, scattering quickly, leaving Rouge staring blankly into the present. Gray eyes stared at the hedgehog before her. She watched him deeply, "…Who _are_ you?"

* * *

It seemed that today, Achilles had learned a lot. The first thing he picked up about the echidna princess, was the fact that she attacked him at quite an incredible distance. Her style was flinging bolts of radical energy. 

Achilles darted and zipped through the hail of energy bursts. He looked up at the hovering monarch, "Why do you attack at a distance, pretty one? Too weak to throw your own blows? If this keeps up, then I'll have to come up there."

Tikal narrowed her eyes, "Try that and we shall see what shall become of you shortly."

"You're inviting me up there?" Achilles wicked smile made her shudder, "I'm on my way, pretty one."

Instead of heading her threatening words, the gold hedgehog plunged forward, heading straight for her. An icy fear numbed Tikal as she saw the approaching foe. If she didn't do something fast, Achilles would have her right in his hands.

It was time to summon her strongest attack, her very own ace in the hole. Tikal closed her aquiline turquoise eyes as she prepared for her final move. It was either crush or be crushed. A light wisp of pale blue energy swirled around Tikl as she gathered courage as she summoned, "Heaven's Justice!"

The attack swept the floor with myriads of sky-blue beams. Clouds of dark smoke curled in the air as Tikal's eyes scanned the thick haze. She spotted Knuckles, who peered up at her, then she turned to see Daisy huddled beside Scythe. Amy was beside Sonic, looking at him worriedly.

There was absolutely no sign of the gold demon. And even if he was hiding, Tikal would still be able to detect his aura. Then, she spotted him right beneath her, looking up at her with odd sky-blue eyes. A small, wisp of smoke rose from a reddened wound on his shoulder. Tikal felt herself go cold; by the time she would try to summon another attack, it would be far too late.

"…You hit me," he deadpanned, face completely void.

Without a second thought, he picked up a broken scrap of metal from one of the nearby busted machines, and hurled it at the echidna princess. Tikal managed to whirl around just enough to take the blow in the clavicle.

The tribal princess yelped as she hit the floor. Her senses seemed to be numbing from the new bubbling pain as her gaze blurred and her hearing flickered in and out, like a static filled radio. Had she been feeling any better, Tikal would have picked up the furious, yet panicked howls of her fiancée.

Tikal's numb aquamarine eyes fixed on an approaching Achilles. A large toothy grin seized his face as sky blue irises blazed. If Tikal's vision wasn't failing her, she would have been submerged in fear at the raging lunacy approaching her. He was just a mere, golden blur.

The gold hedgehog narrowed his eyes and smiled chillingly. He had finally caught his prey that was helpless at his feet. All the fire and fight in her was doused as she could barely breathe without trouble. This one; this slender, long-quilled, pretty echinda...he'd enjoy finding ways to bring her pain and...

A crackle of green energy flew past the gold hedgehog, exploding violently on the wall in front of him. Had Achilles not been as fast as he was, he would have been a headless being. Respectively, Achilles stopped in his stride and turned blue eyes narrowed dangerously.

His sight landed on a black hedgehog standing across the room with an outstretched arm. Behind him Rouge stood at a considerably safe distance, her arms crossed and her brows furrowed, as if she was in deep pondering.

"This ends now Achilles," Shadow growled, "Since you like to know everyone's names, me let me start by introducing myself; I'm Shadow, the person who will bring you to your knees."

The gold hedgehog's glare lightened considerably, "Shadow...As in the project from ark about half a century ago? You look a tad different then I expected."

Achilles took in Shadow's new appearance with slight interest; in place of his infamous red streaks, bright green streaks were slashed on his fur, and likewise, in place of his searing crimson eyes were intense, jade-hued irises.

" I thought--Oh…" A smile of realization dawned on the gold hedgehog's face, "I get it. You absorbed the power of the Master Emerald, didn't you? That explains your new radical energy levels, and the new pretty green eyes. Oh, I'm so excited."

Shadow cracked his knuckles as he stared down the golden hedgehog, "…Over what? There is only pain and misery in your future."

He smiled gleefully at the glaring hedgehog, "You are the ultimate life form. Or so they say… Perhaps, unlike all these other weak creatures, you can quench my thirst. I lust for a good fight."

Shadow turned to look behind him and caught Rouge's line of vision, "…You best take cover…and no matter what, don't come out, even in my aid…"

Rouge sneered, "Oh, you can bet on that…"

The newly green-eyed hedgehog gazed at her a moment longer. Although they were meters apart, and Rouge's cold bitterness seemed to add an extra barrier between them, Shadow raised his hand out towards her. He did not miss the way she flinched and backed way when he did so. The black hedgehog sighed before his war face resurfaced and he spun and charged at Achilles.

The second he left, Rouge's gray eyes softened, "…Good luck…you're gonna need it…"

* * *

Tails stood behind a glowing monitor, watching and reading each detailed, lengthy file with a professional interest. Cream stood by his side quietly, gazing at the screen as well. She wrung her hands unconsciously; she had no idea what the long, thick paragraphs were saying, but she sure hoped that Tails was understanding everything. 

With a sigh, the small rabbit rubbed out a wrinkle in her black and orange uniform. Tails' voice finally broke her out her semi despondent and bored state, "…Got it…"

Cream turned coffee eyes upon him, "Well, what is it?" He looked at Cream briefly before he picked up the radio, "I gotta tell the others about project Achilles before this…_thing_ tears our friends limb from limb."

The little tan rabbit looked skyward and sighed, "I certainly hope they're okay…"

* * *

Amy held Sonic as he reclined on his back. With a hand held to his heart, he puffed out deep, labored breaths. Sonic grimaced as he tried to steady himself on the back of his elbows, but Amy scolded him, "Sonic, please, you don't have the strength to fight him." 

" Ames, I gotta try…if I don't stop that thing…then…" Sonic shook his head, refusing to continue the thought.

"I don't care, you can't fight…" Amy replied, "…And besides, Shadow's taking care of everything."

A stale, uncomfortable silence floated between the two hedgehogs. Sonic broke the prickly atmosphere with a comment, "Dammit…this guy Ames, he's outta control…what in the hell did Eggman create? If it weren't for Tikal, we'd all probably be goners."

Amy shook her head sadly, '…_He's right, if it wasn't for Tikal…we'd…it's just too horrible to think about_…_But now what? She can't even heal anymore…never the less fight…none of us can...So how is this story gonna end for us all?_'

A tweak of static broke the crushing silence, "_This is Tails…does anyone read me?" _

Amy gasped and turned her head toward the sound. It appeared that the sound had come from the small radio device in the small yellow hedgehog's hand. Daisy sniffled as she lifted the walkie-talkie to her lips, "…Yes, we hear you Tails…"

"I've got some good news guys," Tails began light-heartedly, "There's a way to defeat him!"

Tails' words took Daisy's breath away, "…How?"

_"…Remember how Scythe told us that he was half machine? And remember how he told us all about his mind being a database? Loaded with information and such that Eggman had programmed into him_."

"…Yeah?"

"_Like wise, the same applies to the project Achilles, where he has countless files and programs installed in his mind." _

Frustrated, Daisy threw her hands in the air, "Well what does that have to do with anything?"

_"Plenty," _Tails replied, "_Along with the information he's given his creation. He's also uploaded a few security mechanisms just incase something went wrong…" _

"…You mean, in the event his creation went crazy and decided to kill him?"

Tails laughed bitterly, "_Well, yeah…According to the data I'm finding, the project should have never revolted against Eggman." _

"He didn't just 'revolt' he massacred his own creator, Tails! He beheaded the bastard!"

_"…Which even makes my point that much more valid," _Tails said, _"As I said, according to these documents the project should have been under complete submission to Eggman. But this data also tells me that he was released way too early; __Five hours, fifty-two minutes too soon…" _

"…What?"

_"Daisy," _Tails said in a concerned voice, "_Eggman released him when he was only seventy-five percent done! Of course he'd act like a lunatic…he's cognitive thinking, his reason is completely shot!" _

"…Oh damn…"

_"Yeah…But anyway, like I said earlier; Eggman uploaded tons of programs in both Scythe and Achilles." _

"But how do we stop this….half-baked psycho?" Daisy roared impatiently, "Stop beating around the bush!"

_"…Well, Eggman's not as stupid as Sonic gives him credit for; he installed a kind of 'fail-safe' in project 0012496. If Achilles was opened before he was one hundred percent done, then he'd automatically fall into hibernation a few minutes after he was released." _

Hope sparked on Daisy's face, "…So we just have to hold on…until he falls asleep, is that what you're saying?"

"_Yeah, he'll…umm.. 'shut down' fifteen minutes after his release." _

"Oh Tails!" Daisy cried happily, "We still have a fighting chance! It's been awhile since that menace had been awake!"

_" …Ten minutes and thirty-five seconds to be precise." _

"Five minutes? That's all until he's done!" Daisy cried happily.

"…_Just be careful until then…" _

"Yeah, thank you!" Daisy closed the communication line between them and turned to look at a slow-breathing Scythe.

She rubbed his head affectionately, "…Don't worry Scythe….we'll pull through this…just be strong for a couple seconds more…" With a new, but small strength, Daisy leapt up and hobbled over to Sonic and Amy. Both hedgehogs were instantly greeted with a bright, sunny smile, "…Guys, guess what?"

* * *

Torrents and streams of punches were thrown at the ultimate life form. He avoided them pretty simply, with his customary frown in place. He had to admit, his foe was good, but then again, he was the ultimate life form, so he was better. That was Shadow's reasoning. 

Shadow side-stepped one of Achilles fast jabs and grabbed the gold hedgehog by his wounded shoulder. Achilles winced in pain as he shot through the air, only to be caught in the ceiling of the lab.

The green-eyed hedgehog glared up at his foe as he hung from his hole in the ceiling. And just when Shadow was starting to get comfortable, he heard a deep laughter. Achilles pulled himself from the hole in the ceiling and hung from a broken pipe, all the while smiling insidiously at him.

Achilles swung from the ceiling and launched himself at the black and green hedgehog with the steel pipe in hand. With a furious cry, Achilles swung at Shadow, hitting nothing but glassy, obsidian floor.

The flaxen hedgehog struck at Shadow once more, swinging the pipe with the precision and follow-through of a professional baseball swing. However, Shadow countered the masterful attack, and slid, right between the pocket of his foe's legs and positioned him behind Achilles.

Shadow felt a surge of power course through his body as he summoned his attack, "Chaos Spear!"

An adrenaline rush flooded Shadow's body as he watched his golden foe being blown away by both the velocity and the power of his attack. Achilles flew into a stack of humming machinery, and when he plowed through them mercilessly, they died instantly. The lights in the laboratory faded as well, plunging the laboratory into complete darkness.

The emerald-streaked hedgehog heard someone gasp; his new, superior vision enabled him to see that the soft noise had came from Amy; she held her hand over her mouth. With the vision his new power granted him, the shocked, pink hedgehog stood out from the darkness, along with the others near her, in a soft shade of green.

He glanced briefly from Sonic, Amy, and Daisy over to Knuckles and Tikal, who were huddled together, peering around the room frantically. He glanced at Scythe who laid on the room, breathing shallowly. The final figure he left his eyes rest upon was Rouge…who was staring straight at him.

It made sense, seeing how she was gifted with exceptional night vision. For a second, he thought he had seen a soft gaze on her face, but then, just as fast as he had seen that flicker, she reverted back into the cold, spiteful shell and curled her lip at him unpleasantly. '_Right back at ya_.'

A few lights sprang on, lighting the large room dimly. But even as poor as the lighting was, it enabled the others the ability to see. The others looked at the black and green hedgehog hopefully. The first to speak was Daisy, "Shadow!"

"?" Shadow finally took his gaze from Rouge's, "What?"

"I just got in contact with Tails, and he had wonderful news," Daisy smiled.

"Well?" Shadow began, "What is it?"

After a cough, Sonic smiled, "Shad, even though you're beating the crap outta that jerk…there's an easier way to beat him! He's gonna go into an involuntary sleep-spell!"

"What?" Shadow asked, eyes widening.

Amy smiled, "In about five minutes! Eggman put a mechanism in him that would trigger him to fall asleep!"

Shadow turned his back to the others and fell silent, thinking over these words; then that meant that he had his work cut out for him. He spun back to face them, "…How sure are you that this is true?"

"Pretty sure," Sonic replied with a hack, "…Right Shortcake?"

Daisy nodded happily, "Yes! I heard it from Tails himself!"

Shadow felt his heart leap; so there was a chance for them after all, maybe things truly could return back to normal, and maybe they could even win Rouge back. The warm, comfortable relief that was starting to build within Shadow was destroyed when he heard loud booms…

…From the area that Achilles had plowed into. Shadow slowly turned to face the golden hedgehog. Crawling from beneath sparking, broken machinery, Achilles appeared. He slowly wreathed, twisted and bent his frame like a zombie returning from beyond the grave. The sight of the zombie-like movements wasn't what made Shadow blanch; it was the sight of Achilles' phantom smile that was plastered to his face with matching dead eyes.

A leak of red fluid streamed down his face and dripped past his chin as he continued to crawl his way from the now burning stack of equipment. The wild, sky-blue irises were locked dead-on Shadow's frozen form. And even though droplets of blood dripped into his eyes, his large smile never faltered and his eyes never blinked. If Shadow didn't know any better, he'd think that the freak was getting euphoria from this…

Still crawling, Achilles growled happily, ignoring the thick, red ribbons running down his face, "Now _this_ is what I'm talkin' about! A real fight…Oh, how I shall enjoy destroying you, Shadow the Hedgehog! You have spilt my blood, and when I bring your death, you shall see much blood!"

With a feral grin in place, Achilles sprung, cat-like off of the floor and dove into a somersault. Shadow barely noticed that the gold hedgehog had flung a metal, burning shard at him. With a hiss of both annoyance and shock, Shadow kicked the lab equipment piece away.

Smiling, the wounded golden hedgehog stopped before the still form of his brother. Shadow felt his body ice over viciously; that couldn't be a good thing. Achilles shook his head with a devious smile and hopped into the air, using his brother as a stepping-stone in the process. Scythe hissed as his younger sibling propelled himself into the air and landed beside a shocked Knuckles.

Immediately, Achilles put the red guardian in a choke hold. Blue eyes slowly traveled from the struggling echidna to the glaring black and green hedgehog, "Mmm, now what a messy predicament _this_ is…."

"Knuckles!" Tikal cried fiercely, "Release him you vandal!"

"Let him go!" Amy cried.

"Leave him alone!" Daisy cried.

"Bastard!" Sonic spat, "Your fight is with Shadow, not him!"

"Perhaps, Sonic," Achilles replied calmly, "But remember, he did challenge me too…and lost. However, something you guys said had really sparked my interest…"

Shadow stared at the gold hedgehog sternly; he was dealing with a loose canon here, it would be best to remain calm, "…And what was that?"

"You said you had a way to defeat me? "Achilles grinned evilly, "I wish I could have heard what it was…but either way, I have something enlightening to share with all of you."

Sonic hissed angrily, "Quit playing games with us and tell us then you freak!"

"…When Shadow smacked me into all those lovely devices over there, he just totally fried the base's power supply."

"As if we're going to believe that!" Amy snarled.

Achilles shrugged, "Well…whatever; this is the red room, and for some reason my creator decided to stock all the really important such in it…like my capsule for instance…But anyway, the base is running on a pretty weak back-up generator right now and with the last of the generator's power…it's going to seal all the doors to this place."

Everyone fell silent in the room, as a dripping dread pricked the back of their necks, but Achilles remained smiling, "…And when this place does seal for good…you're going to be locked in here with me…and I promise I'll make each and every one of your deaths horrific. So let's start with this big red guy."

Achilles tightened his grip on Knuckles neck as he grimaced in pain, "…So tell me Shadow…should he die first, or what? My database tells me that you two don't like each other, because of Rouge."

He jerked his head toward the silent bat. At the mention of her name, she furled deeper in the corner of the room. When Shadow turned to look at Rouge, returning her blank stare, a blur in the corner of his vision moved, "Don't you hurt him!"

Tikal, even with the wound, sprung at Achilles only to receive a boot to the stomach. Tikal crumbled to the floor as Shadow and Sonic roared angrily. Achilles looked up at Shadow and smiled.

The echidna princess stiffened as she felt a hand run through her longs quills; it was Achilles, "…Personally, I think you made the wrong choice. Pretty one here is the better pick between the two."

His foot found its way on her back, and applied pressure followed, "…Or perhaps, I'll finish the lady echidna first. She's an angel already, but I'll be the one to really give her wings."

Shadow growled angrily, "Your fight is with me you coward! If there is anyone to strike at, then _fight me_!" Achilles shrugged as his face went from blank, to sinister in the flick of a switch, "…Sure…"

The echidna princess was flung effortlessly across the room. With a yelp, she crash landed painfully, sliding to a stop. The others, including Shadow, turned with concern to attend the fallen sovereign.

Achilles' eyes flared dangerously as a single thought floated in his head: Shadow had turned his back to him. The dark hedgehog had dropped his guard for only a second when he barely caught sight of a glint of silver flying toward him and he saw it impale him---straight across his chest. Vaguely, he heard the soft noise of wet tissue being torn apart.

Fate had been kind enough to allow the dark hedgehog only a few seconds of the tremendous, scorching pain that lanced through his chest before he dropped to his knees and finally collapsed on the floor, with his last image being that of a grinning Achilles.

* * *

A shriek rose from both Amy and Daisy as they saw the dark hedgehog collapse to the floor lifelessly. Both girls ran over to Shadow as he lay motionless. Sonic, who was too weak to move from his current shock, stared on with his mouth agape in silent horror. 

"_Shadow! Shadow_!" Daisy cried furiously, shaking the unresponsive hedgehog, "_Please wake up!" _

"_Shadow…Oh_…," With cloudy eyes, Amy looked up skyward, "…_Oh please don't leave us!" _

Daisy's eyes contorted as tears poured from her eyes freely, "_Oh no! This can't be! He can't be gone_!"

"_Don't leave us_!" Amy cried, tears streaming from her eyes.

"…_No_," Sonic whispered quietly, "…_This isn't_…"

Tikal released a sad cry, "…_.Impossible_…"

From the isolated corner of the room, Rouge watched helplessly. At the sight of the impalement, Rouge's face remained strangely blank. As if in a trance, her eyes never left the lifeless hedgehog. She watched wordlessly as dark red fluid flowed in unhealthy doses from the perilous deep wound from his chest.

Rouge began to feel numb as a thought hit her with an icy finality, '…He's gone…'

The wails of Amy and Daisy began to fade as ideas began to swarm in the huntress's head eccentrically. All at once she felt both hot and cold, alert and numb; it seemed as if the world was spinning rapidly around her in hazy, colorful blurs.

It took incredible will, and inner strength on her part to fight against the searing emotions threatening to explode within her; but the more her stone heart fought against the powerful emotions, the harder she found it to control herself.

These welling emotions weren't coming from the snide, blackhearted Rouge; for she was trying to fight against the senseless sentiments. But the hidden, inner light within herself was beginning to burn holes through her dark will.

Thousands, if not millions of images of the black and red hedgehog cascaded into her mind, flooding her subconscious. The smiles, the laughs, the frowns---every image of Shadow appeared before her.

The icy, cold shell within Rouge was crushed as she finally realized a burning truth, "_He's gone_!" A shrill, heartbroken cry jarred Sonic, Amy, and Daisy from their mourning, "_Shadow! Don't you leave me! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" _

All were shocked to see a weeping Rouge tearing through the room blindly, rushing at her fallen love. She ran, ignoring her awkward strides in her heels, and her running mascara as her tears poured. Tears flowed freely from warm, crystalline blue eyes.

"_I love you! Please don't leave me here all by myself! You're all I have left_!"

"…_Don't cry, you should all be concerned about your own lives_," Achilles ushered, "_You'll all be joining him soon…so let's start with you pseudo-sister_!"

Daisy blanched as Achilles picked up a thick, shard of fiberglass. She began to tremble, holding up Shadow in her lap. She had no strength to fight, and once she locked eyes with the insane creature, she couldn't break eye contact.

"Sayonara, pseudo-sister," Achilles smiled wickedly, "Say hello to Shadow for me…"

With that quip, he hurled the large glass shard at the paralyzed yellow hedgehog. Her throat went dry just as her eyes widened; death was coming straight at her, and yet she had no strength, or will to turn away and run.

Achilles' smile faded instantly when a wailing white bat pulled into his line of fire and collapsed instantly when the large fiberglass flew straight through her chest. She fell the moment it carved through her torso.

And she lay motionless on the floor…

…With a broken heart.

* * *

Another arch of silence filled the room with deep, disbelieving stares. Even Achilles, himself, seemed to have been blown away by the situation. Everyone was frozen in shock, looking at the perfect, yet lifeless form of the white bat. 

"Oh…Chaos…" Knuckles croaked roughly, tears threatening his voice, "…She's…"

"…Shadow…now Rouge…" Amy trembled tearfully, "Oh…At least their together…I hope they're happy…"

Tikal burst out into a fit of tears as Knuckles fought the cold, solid lump in his throat. Amy looked skyward, shaking her head miserably, tears falling silently. Daisy opted to a full-out wailing cry.

The gold hedgehog took a step backward, "…She wasn't supposed to die…"

"_Damn you_!"

Achilles turned to look at Sonic. The blue hero was trying to shakily rise to his feet. But despite his lack of strength, his eyes burned furiously, "…You're going to pay for this! I swear it on my life! Shadow and Rouge's deaths will not go unavenged!"

A blank, humorless expression was set on the gold hedgehog's face, "…Shut up, you can't even walk and you're threatening me…Her death was unfortun--"

"Someone give me the Chaos Emeralds or something!" Sonic hissed, " 'Cause I'm going to--"

"_No! You will not take her from me_!"

* * *

"…_Huh?_" 

Rouge slowly opened her eyes. Remembering that she was in the middle of a war with a psychotic gold hedgehog, Rouge quickly sat up with a jolt, "_Shadow! Oh, I'm so sorry! Forgive me I--" _

She paused suddenly as she noticed something. She felt no pain; in fact, she felt incredible, like she had just awoken from a great slumber. But how was that possible, especially after the fact that she was cleaved with a thick painful glass shard.

Rouge gazed at her midriff; nothing, no shard, no bloody wound. Gasping, she rose to her feet; yep she was sure, no wound whatsoever. To say the least, she was appalled.

"…_So, this is the darling Rouge I've been hearing so much about, eh?"_

Rouge snapped around to the sound of the voice. Standing before her was a little girl, who had soft, charming blue eyes and waves of gold hair. Her smile was pleasant and warm, as she folded her arms behind her back; all and all, the girl was an adorable being.

"_Now I see why he was so madly in love with you_," the girl giggled light-heartedly, " _You're as lovely as he says you are_!"

"…_Who are you_?" Rouge replied softly.

The girl winked at her, "_Take a guess Rouge. You know the answer already_."

Half of Rouge's mind didn't want to believe the words that rolled off of her tongue, but the other half knew the full hearted truth, "_Maria_…"

Maria smiled, "_That's correct_."

"_So does that mean_…" Rouge paused and looked away.

Fortuitously, Rouge's eyes peered toward the ground, and she saw her still, lifeless shell. If not for the blood pooled around her, Rouge could have easily been mistaken for a person in the middle of a comfort nap.

"_You've finished that path of your life_," Maria replied with a smile, "_It's time to embark on your newest journey, here_."

Rouge looked up sadly, as Maria continued, "_Oh, don't be sad Rouge! Of course your isolated from your friends, but soon, they shall join us as well. You have nothing to fear any longer…_"

"_No, it's not that Maria_," Rouge replied, "…_My child's going to die without me…" _

"_Oh,_" Maria blinked, "_I forgot that you and Shadow conceived a child_!" she scratched the back of her head, "…_Grandpa never told me just how babies were made_…"

Rouge blushed, "…_Um, since you're…an angel or something…you weren't watching_?_ …Not that I'm suggesting that you should watch everything that goes on at Earth…_"

Maria laughed, "_Oh, no! It's not like we watch your lives on a big TV all day! We have stuff to do here too you know! And besides, we only get to hear the stuff you want us to_._ Shadow pretty much talks to me everyday. But anyways, trust me…your daughter is safe.Or she's going to be._"

"_Daughter_?" Rouge asked breathlessly.

Maria nodded her head, "_Yup! Oh, and by the way…I think a couple has been thinking of their daughter as well…_"

The flaxen-haired girl swept her hand and pointed to a couple. Rouge blanched, "…Mom…Dad?" With a shriek she rushed over toward her mother and father and cradled herself in their arms. She cried happily as she was reunited with her loving parents she had long-lost.

Maria watched the family reunion happily, then slowly her face saddened. Maria turned from Rouge and closed her eyes cheerlessly, "…I'm glad Rouge that you have something to be happy for…because you're really not going to want to see what's about to happen…"

* * *

"No! You will not take her from me!" 

_The deep, venomous snarl broke everyone out of their sad haze. Everyone fell into a sheer, state of shock as the seemingly lifeless Shadow bolted up right and rose to his feet effortlessly. He rose from a puddle of his blood easily, appearing as if his fatal wound was nothing. _

_A sheer, agonizing fury was etched into the black hedgehog's face as he stared malignantly at the gold hedgehog. Achilles took a step away from the furiously hedgehog. It wasn't the searing-furious gaze upon Shadow's face that scared the lights out of Achilles, it was the fact that Shadow had rose from such a life-threatening wound easily. _

"After all these years of finally trying to realign myself in this world," _Shadow growled_, "I find the one person that I can love…the one person that I can give my heart to securely…Then you have the audacity to harm her? The one person I found I have been searching for…for more than half a century?"

_Shadow's normally placid, intuitive eyes were storms of raging, feral wildfire. His mouth was held in a terrible grimace as he ignored the river of tears that cascaded down his face. _

_Achilles jumped away as Shadow approached him ominously; with his head lowered like a bull, he stared at the gold hedgehog with unfathomable, murderous eyes. Achilles threw nearby sharps of metal at the advancing hedgehog. But all attempts were thwarted by a garnet-red aura that sparked; Shadow never had to break his stride once. _

_This time, Achilles decided to attack him face-to-face. He appeared before Shadow and threw a jab. With the dim lightning hiding his furious eyes, Shadow caught Achilles' hand fluently and proceeded to back-hand the gold hedgehog rapidly. _

_The gold hedgehog's head was swimming; he couldn't even see straight half-way through Shadow's assault. Just as Achilles felt himself beginning to become light-headed, he felt Shadow throw him into a wall. _

_The creation slumped to the floor as he cringed in pain. When he opened his eyes, Shadow was in front of him. Before Achilles could make a move to defend himself, Shadow wretched Achilles by the arm, and slammed him into the titanium wall again, and again, and again. _

_It was only when Shadow broke the gold hedgehog's arm that he released him, and followed through with a kick to the spine. Achilles collapsed with a scream. He turned away from Shadow and began to flee from him. _

_Just as Achilles was starting to put a distance between them, he collapsed to the floor when he felt a searing pain in his calf. He looked to see that his leg had been impaled with a shard of glass. Karma certainly was a busybody today. _

_After looking at his oozing, bloody leg, and his broken, mangled arm, Achilles turned to look at Shadow. For the first time in his life, Achilles experienced fear, and likewise, for the first time ever, he decided that he wanted to flee from a battle. _

_No longer being able to walk, Achilles began to crawl away from Shadow. The gold hedgehog didn't care that he was inching toward Shadow's friends; anything was better from being anywhere near him. _

_And even the dark hedgehog's friends were freaked; joy, and happiness for the revival of their previously lifeless friend was far from their minds. Whatever had snapped in Shadow's mind had turned him into a raging, hell-bent demon. It also didn't help that he looked the part too. _

_They all watched wordlessly as Achilles crawled away weakly, as Shadow advanced slowly. On his way to stalking Achilles, in one hand he picked up another shard of metal. _

_As Achilles scooted away from Shadow, his vision went black as his eyes closed involuntarily. If he was bumbling around before, it was twice as bad now, "_What's happening to me?"

_"…_He's shutting down_…" Amy said numbly. _

_Achilles staggered around blindly, refusing to believe that he lost the will to control his own eyes, "…_Of all the times!_?--" _

_But Shadow continued his stroll, looking as ominously as the grim reaper himself, "_…For too long I have searched for a way to heal these aches in my heart…And Rouge was that remedy…But I vow to you, you poisonous, pathetic psychopath, if I lost my Rouge…not even the fires of Hell itself will mirror anything close to the anguish you shall feel at my hands!"

_His eyes were swept into a dark, impenetrable shadow as a flare of deep red energy flared all around him. _

* * *

To be continued… 

Chapter Twenty nine Theme_: "Wake up"- Alicia Keys _


	30. The Sweetest Goodbye

_**UlTrRa SiK pRoDuCtIoNs pReSeNtZ: **_

_**LoVe'S bUrN **_

_By: UlTrAa ShAdDow _

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of Sega's characters….but I'd be a very happy guy if I did! _

_-_Here it is: the coup de grace

* * *

_Third POV…. _

_

* * *

_

The sky was rising into a warm shade of rose as the sun began to appear. The air was crisp and cool, with the normal stillness that dawn brought. With the passing of a few hours, the sky slowly began to fade into a light blue. Admiring the midst of the sky's transform was a lone hedgehog.

He sat under the shade of a tall oak tree, reflecting thoughtfully in the presence of the transforming sky. He waited patiently as the sun gradually rose to its apex, and showered the land with its powerful rays. His meditative thoughts were stirred when he heard a voice, "Hey!"

Shadow turned his head toward the sound of the voice. Approaching him swiftly was a young, smiling ivory bat. She was dressed in a matching semi-form fitting burgundy sweat suit. The gorgeous creature slowly approached Shadow as the suns rays lit up her striking features.

With the shafts of light, her eyes were revealed to be a rich shade of plum, "Hey dad, so what was so important that you wanted to talk to me here? At Sapphire Lake Park?"

The advancing girl was nearly an adult now, with her being eighteen years old. Truly, time did wait for no one; and yet, Shadow had nothing to show for it; he looked the same as he did the day his daughter was first placed in his arms. It was one of the many perks of being an immortal being.

"Well, you mean other than the fact that this is the place where _I'll_ meet your date," Shadow rose to his feet, he motioned to the bat, "Come over here Maria."

The girl walked over to Shadow, only to find herself being lead around the pathway around the lake. Maria shrugged and ambled until she was side by side with her dad, "…So, what do you want to tell me?"

"Rouge Maria," the white bat grimaced at the sound of her complete name, "…That's exactly what I want to talk to you about."

"Oh. You're going to _finally _explain to me why you gave me such a jacked-up name?" Maria said with an arched eyebrow.

"Sort of. I was thinking of telling you the complete truth about your mother," Shadow replied.

Maria looked at her father sideways, "…So what would make you decide to share this with me now of all times? I love hearing about my mother, but…Isn't this a little random?"

"To tell you the truth, I can't explain why I never spoke much detail about her. Maybe I was still suffering from her loss," Shadow brought his eyes upon Maria's, "But now I feel that I have enough strength to say what I must, after eighteen years. And everyday I look at you, I feel like I'm staring at her; you look so much like her."

Maria blinked; it was true, the young bat was almost a perfect mirror image of her mother: she embellished the same crisp, white fur, the same athletic build, and even the similar stature. It seemed as if Shadow's input in Maria's creation had been denied. The only physical qualities Maria had of her father's were her purple eyes; a mixture of Rouge's blue and Shadow's red.

Other than that minor difference, she was a spitting image of her lovely mother; at times, when Shadow saw Maria walking around the house, he had believed that Rouge was there in her place.

"…And now that you're eighteen, there are plenty of things I should shed light on," Shadow began, popping his knuckles thoughtfully, "I will tell you about many things: your mother, your birth…everything…"

Maria continued to walk alongside of her father, " 'Everything'? What haven't you told me? I know all about how you're this 'ultimate life-form' or something," Shadow laughed, "And how you used to live on Ark awhile back, and you never age….…You've told me that Mom died when I was little…She died fighting against a crazy doctor Eggman…And you, my Uncles Sonic and Scythe, and Aunts Amy and Daisy raised me…"

"Your mother wasn't even alive when you were born," Shadow replied.

A cold chill pricked Maria, "…That's not possible."

Shadow sighed, "It is. You know that if I didn't think you'd be able to handle this story I wouldn't tell you."

Maria nodded her head, although her stomach was turning flips, she managed to nod her head and stare at her father sternly, "Of course."

Shadow smiled; although his daughter took none of his physical traits he had noticed that she developed a good balance of his qualities, like his courage, his competitive streak and his unbending will, and her ability to say just exactly what was on her mind. Her fiery personality made her a domineering force. But on the flipside, she had her mother's intuitive, caring humorous personality.

Shadow caught a glimpse of the watch on his daughter's wrist: _7:15_; good, that meant that he had plenty of time before noon rolled around. And with a deep breath, Shadow exhaled and began his story.

* * *

Dark clouds of smoke rose in torrid circles from a sky that matched the color of the dancing flames. A small village, with buildings made of nothing more than branches and leaves was being washed away by a billow of licking flames. The small community was in tarnish, anything that once stood was destroyed, and the village's occupants themselves had either fled off or were mortally wounded. 

Approaching the village were a couple of passerbyers. They surveyed the area sadly, and with having nothing to say, they began to cautiously search for any survivors. The first traveler, a pepper-colored echidna searched through the scorched rubble by using his strength, lifting anything he could find. And the second wanderer, a brown-black hedgehog zipped and darted to and fro, searching the village quickly with his impressive speed.

Just when the hedgehog seemed to be losing faith in finding any survivors, he stopped when he approached the center of the village. There, lying in the midst of the flames was a black and red streaked hedgehog. He looked at the newcomer with blurry red eyes before he passed out, falling into a numb void of nothingness.

_

* * *

_

Shadow's eyes slowly began to slip open as he gradually left oblivion. His vision was blurred as he was greeted into the conscious world with a thumping, hot headache. He was surprised to find that he was able to hear voices over his tremendous headache. Although the words were slushy and slurred, he was able to make out two voices audibly.

"--Villagers said they were attack by a green and black demon--"

"--Him--?"

"--Believe it was him--"

"--say he dragged a yellow hedgehog and left him to die in the Sahara Dessert--"

"--Massacred the gold hedgehog--"

Shadow moaned audibly as he tried to elevate himself from a dusty patch on the ground, but with his lack of strength, he did no such thing. The other occupants, who were sitting around a glowing fire turned to look at him, both holding steaming clay mugs in their hands.

"Well, look who's awake, Blare," the dark brown hedgehog replied.

"…I wouldn't try to get up if I was you," the black echidna replied, "That gash across your chest looks terrible. It took us forever to clean the blood that was crusted around that wound. But now that I hear what you did to that gold hedgehog, I'm regretting doing so."

Shadow blinked numbly, his mind still hazy from pain and anguish, "…She's gone, Rouge's gone..."

Both the hedgehog and the echidna traded glances at each other skeptically. Then they looked at the mumbling newcomer. Both leaned in closer to look at Shadow; the brown hedgehog stared at him with puzzled eyes while the echidna glared at him sharply, "…What are you saying?"

"…Gone…she's gone…gone…" Shadow mumbled incoherently.

The brown hedgehog turned to look at the darker echidna, Blare, "…Are we sure this is the 'green and black demon' the villagers told us about? I see no ounce of green on him!"

"But all the villagers we talked to said that it was this hedgehog that scorched their village," the echidna replied, "And you even saw that half-dead gold hedgehog he left in the dessert. How do you rationalize that?"

The brown hedgehog, Trigger, frowned slightly, "Yeah…it was pretty terrible, he messed that guy up pretty good, he tore him up and made him pretty bloody. I hate to say this but, if I was that gold hedgehog, I'd rather be dead then suffer through that pain."

The echidna grimaced, "Then that makes two of us."

"So, Blare, what do we do with him then?" Trigger pointed to a murmuring Shadow, who's eyes were gazed over.

"Well Trigg, I think we should let the villagers decide what to do with him. They set up camp not too far from here. Let's bring him to them."

With that, both the echidna and the hedgehog rose and made their way to Shadow.

_

* * *

_

The villagers who had been lucky enough to return from their incinerated village relatively unharmed had set up a temporary camp site a couple of miles outside of their beloved, burned village. Currently, the chief of the village had been busy overseeing the new construction plans for their village. Just as they were in the middle of deciding where to construct the new waterhole, a scout entered the room and approached the chief.

The chief, an old, deep gray fox looked up at the approaching warrior, "…Yes? What news do you bring?"

"Sir, two traders come claiming to have some very important news."

"…Send them in then."

With a bow, the scout turned on his heel and reentered the room with Blare and Trigger following his footsteps. Both subjects bowed before the chief, and the echidna spoke, "Good evening chief, we just brought news that we bring to you the creature that destroyed your village."

The chief instantly rose to his feet, his face turning into stone, "...Is that so?"

"He's in a tent if you want to see him," Trigger replied from behind the dark echidna, "If you follow us, we'll take you to him."

Without a word, the chief, flanked by two soldiers, followed the two wanderers out of the tent. Ignoring the nippy night air, he trailed them quickly, soon he found himself at a small, poorly lit tent. In the tent was the very being that made the old chief's anger rise like steam; it was Shadow.

"How did you stop this despicable being?" the chief hissed, "He took out many of our finest warriors without an effort!"

"Well, we found him…uh, unconscious," the brown hedgehog replied.

The chief took his gaze from Trigger and looked at Shadow. The chief swore that he heard Shadow's low voice, but he dismissed the thought as his anger rose, "…So what say you, you demon! You have destroyed our village! And wounded many men! Many people claim that their eyes saw you! And the gold hedgehog you brutalized…"

But Shadow was nowhere near ready to answer, "…Gone…couldn't protect her…I'm alone again…Maria…now Rouge…"

The chief glared, "What? He is making little sense to me. Answer me you demonic hedgehog!"

"Sir, he's been like this ever since we found him," Trigger replied, "…And we have no idea why."

"It's true," Blare replied, "...Probably scared that he's been caught."

The old leader frowned, "…Then we shall make him speak clearly."

"…Maria…Rouge…I'm sorry…"

Just as the chief bent forward, with his arm outstretched towards Shadow, the black hedgehog began to bawl. The action startled the chief so much that he stumbled backwards into Blare. But the black echidna hardly noticed, as he stared at Shadow with wide, stunned eyes.

"_Maria! Rouge! I'm sorry! Sorry_!"

Rivers of tears poured from his face as he cried uncontrollably; for the first time in his existence, Shadow finally began to vent all the sorrow he locked away in his heart. The secure dam of emotions he had sealed away had been eroded away and his grief flooded him like a raging wave.

When he started crying, he found that he couldn't stop; he cried over the loss of Rouge, the loss of Maria and even his future child he assumed was dead. He cried for any and everyone he knew. The others stared at him wordlessly as he wept with wet, miserable crimson eyes. He repeated the same phrase over and over again as his tears ran down his face copiously.

Finally, one of the chief's soldiers had the mind to speak, "…Sir?"

"...We shall see to him tomorrow," the chief replied curtly.

The chief, flanked by his soldiers turned and left the tent. Eventually, Blare and Trigger followed their footsteps as they left the tent in silence. Neither of the two friends said a word to each other for the remainder of the night.

_

* * *

_

To both their surprise, and dismay, when the chief, as well as the two traders returned to the tent, they found that the black hedgehog was still crying stridently. Vaguely, Trigger wondered if Shadow had been crying the entire night; something about the unfamiliar red and black hedgehog made him think that he wasn't quite the evil being everyone claimed him to be.

But since the chief was adamant about getting answers out of a howling Shadow, which was rather pointless, he refused to feed the red and black hedgehog until he spoke about his accused crimes. And none of the other villagers were willing to care for Shadow either, since he was the being that they claimed destroyed their village.

And between the two traders, Blare was against it from the beginning, claiming that Shadow was getting only what he deserved, so the slightly more sympathetic Trigger decided to do the task.

The earth-hued hedgehog entered the room slowly, instantly catching more of Shadow's howling. Trigger took a knee beside Shadow as he set the bowl on the sandy floor. He filled a spoon with the _un_-delicious gruel he made himself and held the spoon near Shadow, "Okay, its time for breakfast, and oh doesn't it look yummy."

He tried twelve different maneuvers to feed Shadow, but each ended unsuccessfully. Most of the attempts ended with Trigger being sludged with his own nasty, lumpy porridge.

Just as he had given up any civil attempts and decided to fling the entire bowl at Shadow, a voice stopped him, "…I'll take over from here."

With the bowl raised over his head, Trigger turned his head slightly to see a ginger haired human girl with cool brown eyes looking at him. Trigger lowered the bowl instantly, "…I wasn't going to throw this at him…"

_

* * *

_

The nameless human girl had stayed with Shadow day and night for the span of a week. And even though it was a struggle to care for the black hedgehog, with him crying profusely, she had dealt with him with a motherly patience.

And although the villagers never asked the young woman why she had bothered with the dangerous hedgehog, they all watched her curiously. It was just beginning to become a brand new day and the villagers' fires were adjoining thick rolls of smoke with the dawning sky.

By their own fire, Blare and Trigger sat. The black echidna threw a twig in the crackling fire as Trigger began to nod off. After tossing the small branch in the fire, the irritated echidna picked up a stone and threw it at his slumbering friend.

"Hey!--"

"Wake your ass up!" Blare hissed, "You're supposed to be watching the fire, dingbat!"

"I _was_ watching the fire!"

"Oh really? With your eyes closed?"

"…Yes…"

The black echidna snarled irritably as he rubbed his head, "…Why am I always stuck with an idiot? Why? I must have a moron magnet on me or something!"

The brown hedgehog glared, "…Well up yours pal!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Both the hedgehog and the echidna were in each other's faces glaring. Both looked as if they were hankering for a fight. But with a sigh, the echidna shook his head, "Look at us, fighting over nothing. We're getting wound up here."

Trigger scratched the back of his neck absently, "Yeah I'm sorry …But that hedgehog just _won't_ stop crying! _It's driving me up the wall_!"

The black echidna sat down, "Yeah, likewise…And with that stupid hedgehog not talking, we're just sitting here, doing nothing. Listening to him! And--"

He paused mid-sentence as his eyes picked up a new focus. The ginger-haired human girl was walking through the camp with a pail in hand. Calmly, without noticing the echidna's watchful eyes, she entered Shadow's tent and disappeared.

"…Quite frankly, I don't see why she even puts up with that guy anymore…" Blare replied, "She's probably lost her marbles too."

But Trigger stared after her wordlessly. When the girl entered the tent, she was almost scared out of her mind when she found a _silent _Shadow recuperating beneath thin blankets. He was tracing designs in the dusty floor beside him, and before she could even ask a question, Shadow summoned up what he felt he owed her, "…Thank you…"

After blinking, she smiled; just as she expected, his voice was weak and hoarse, mostly from fatigue, but then again, he had been crying for an entire week straight, "You're more than welcome, Shadow. I know you've been going through a rough time."

"…Who are you?" Shadow asked softly, "And how do you know me? And why did you even bother helping me?"

The young woman smiled and took a seat beside the black and red hedgehog, "Well, first, why don't you tell _me_ about everything; Achilles, Rouge, the works, and then I'll tell you about myself."

"…I will," Shadow replied, "But…I'm hungry…"

The human girl burst out laughing, "So this is the terrible demon, huh? The all powerful ultimate life-form? I'll bring back some grub, you'll need some sleep though, so hit the hay for a few minutes before I bring back breakfast, alright? I'll wake you when I get back."

* * *

After a large breakfast of warm toast, eggs, milk, wild blueberries and crème-filled pastries, the ultimate life form was beginning to feel like his old self again. And in showing his gratitude toward the human girl, he shed light on everything: 

The Sahara Dessert calamity; Eggman's death, the awakening of Achilles, his use of the Master Emerald's power, Rouge's death, and even his near death experience. Throughout the entire time Shadow spoke, the mysterious redhead kept her eyes trained on his, nodding her head at every other sentence.

"…I suppose I earned the 'green and black' demon title from the power I used of the Master Emerald's power, but now as you can see, I guess I'm back to normal."

"…I understand now," the girl replied solemnly, looking at her cup of coffee, "This whole thing, let alone your story, is a lot to swallow; so let me get this straight: Achilles was an incomplete experiment, and because he was released too early, he destroyed Eggman."

Shadow confirmed her thought with a slight nod of his head. The girl shook her head, "…So the 'green and black demon' was just really a victim of this whole charade."

"So now, what do you have to do with any of this?" Shadow asked, drinking the tea that she had boiled for him.

"Well," the girl started, "Let's just say that the man Achilles beheaded was my dear old dad."

Shadow paused and turned to look at the girl harder. He hadn't noticed it before, but the young woman did have nearly the same, flame orange hair that the late doctor had. But unlike her father, the girl was fairly attractive. The girl caught Shadow's disbelieving stare and she laughed, "Oh, what? You don't believe me?"

"You do not look like his daughter," Shadow replied, "He was repulsive and you are possibly the opposite."

The girl beamed, "Well thank you Shadow! But I guess it helps when your mother is an exotic dancer…So I guess I lucked out. But I did inherit my father's merits in science and love for technology. I'm actually planning on making his abandoned Sahara Base my new headquarters!"

Shadow looked at her wordlessly; the blank look on his face brought an even bigger smile on her face, "Perhaps I should officially introduce myself. I'm Julie Robotnik, Eggman's daughter, and Professor Gerald Robotnik's great-granddaughter. And in the light of their deaths, Shadow, both you and Achilles are my concerns."

She took a sip of her coffee as Shadow stared at her again with another wave of stupor, "…I'm truly hoping you're going to explain yourself, Julie."

"Mmm," the redhead replied with a content sigh, "There is nothing like the taste of caramel coffee in the morning."

A bolt of anger lanced through Shadow, "_Answer_ me! What are you planning? Trying to collect all of your experiments? Just like your twisted father?"

Shadow was mellowed by a flare of pain from the large gash across his chest. Months had passed from the time he had first received the fatal wound, but it since carried clout. Wincing, the ultimate life form settled back into a more comfortable position.

After Shadow's outburst, Julie settled for staring at him levelly, "…No. I do not believe in the same ideals my father had. Why heck, I never even knew him! I've just…decided to take my inheritance, and that leaves me with the Sahara Base lab, and well, you, Achilles, and Scythe."

Shadow suddenly felt ill; _inheritance_, hadn't Eggman used that word with him? The black hedgehog was suddenly liking less and less of the human girl. But she seemed to have sensed his apprehension, "Don't get me wrong Shadow, I have absolutely no desire in taking away any freedoms you want. I just want to protect you; and from what I've seen, both you and Achilles have gotten yourselves into some really sticky situations."

Shadow went silent, allowing Julie to continue, "So, to be frank, I plan on reacquiring you from this village, and plan on taking you back with me to the lab, I have something there that you might want to see."

"So," Shadow growled, "You're not going to take me to someplace against my will and lock me up or try to run some sort of world domination scheme? Don't toy with me human; I've lost my mind once, and I'm pretty sure that I could figure out how to do it again."

Julie smiled, "I promise you that you're safe with me…However, you still have the villagers to win over. If you could explain this very same story to them that you told me…something tells me they'd be much more lenient with whatever punishment they want to give you. Right now they look fit to have one black and red hedgehog, minus his head."

Shadow signed as he swirled around the contents of his drink, "…Forgive my outburst, Julie. After everything that's been going on--"

"Don't apologize Shadow," Julie beamed, "The only thing I ask of you from this point on is to trust me. No matter what happens, I'm going to get you out of here. You shouldn't have to suffer needlessly anymore."

The human girl patted Shadow's shoulder and rose to leave. She flashed one last glance back at him, "…Just tell your story Shadow, and I promise you'll be free again."

With that statement, she turned on her heel and left the tent.

* * *

It was nightfall, and the dark air was lit with the red glows of fire. The entire village had gathered around the dancing flames to listen to the account of the accused. So before the entire village of eighty, Shadow stood facing them with the flames roaring behind him. 

The ginger and crimson flames cast a shadow that hid his eyes. And even though Shadow raised his eyes to look at his crowd, no one could tell who his eyes were set upon. The chief finally rose and pointed at Shadow, "So the demon has finally regained his senses, and wishes to confess his wrongdoings?"

Shadow paused before he spoke with a deep sorrowful voice, "…I am not a demon, and I did not come here to 'confess' to anything. I want to tell you all the truth about what happened."

But angry voices interrupted him with icy precision, "You're a demon!"

"You don't deserve to speak!"

"Let's kill him and be over with it!"

Continuous, angry murmurings rose sharply as voices began to join and fed the growing angry mob. Shadow stood silently in the middle of the jeers and taunts stonily. Every time he tried to speak calmly, a voice would rise over his own quickly. He felt his temper starting to flare as frustration and anger began to replace sorrow, "_I am NOT a demon_!"

Somehow, Shadow managed to make his voice sound both strident and ominously deep at the same time, as if he spoke with two entwined voices. The crowd died down at the unnerving voice; it also didn't help that they believed him to be a demonic being.

With his face no longer hidden in the shadows of darkness, the black hedgehog raised his head, and the entire crowd could see his stern red eyes. Whatever power they saw flickering and glowing behind his severe crimson eyes, it silenced them. The only person who relaxed in the crowd was Julie Robotnik; it seemed that she had enjoyed the revival of Shadow's powerful personality.

The black hedgehog scorched everyone with his indignant eyes; the chief watched him silently, unlike the green and black hedgehog that had burned their village earlier, it seemed as if Shadow had a firm grip over his anger. And what was more dangerous than a wild, powerful foe? The answer: A controlled powerful foe.

"Before you condemn me to an unreasonable punishment, listen to my story. Then afterwards, you can decide my fate," Shadow replied, "It is true that this 'black and green demon' is I. But at the same time, it's not true at all…"

Shadow explained to the enraptured crowd about everything: from the moment he first entered the Sahara Dessert Base with his comrades, up until he found out that Rouge was killed. Through Shadow's testimony, the crowd's angry faces slowly morphed into sympathetic, tear-filled expressions.

Little did Shadow know that as he progressed through his narrative, his words didn't just tell his story, but his facial expressions and his voice did as well. He never noticed how he smiled when he mentioned Rouge, or when he frowned darkly as he spoke of Achilles.

When the black and red hedgehog finished his story with a sigh, the crowd fell silent. Shadow finally opened his eyes to gaze upon the crowd, and when he looked at them, he was shocked to find understanding, sad eyes. Even the cold chief looked at him compassionately, "…Is this story true? …Black and red hedgehog?"

"…Unfortunately, every bit of it is accurate," Shadow replied softly.

Within the crowd, both Blare and Trigger exchanged glances at each other, "Holy cow man! No wonder why he beat that gold dude to a pulp!"

The echidna's face darkened, "If I was him, there wouldn't even _be_ a 'gold dude' left."

Trigger looked up at his friend, "…I hope he does not get in trouble…I don't think there's a single guy here who wouldn't have done the same thing to that yellow hedgehog. Can you believe it? He was driven to the brink of insanity!"

For the first time, Blare looked remorsefully at Shadow, "…I'm sorry I misjudged the guy…But it's the villager's elder's decision with what to do with him…Let's listen in…"

The chief silenced the murmuring crowd before he spoke, and all eyes were on him.

"…Truly, this tale is a tragedy," the chief said softly, "…But nevertheless, my village still remains in ashes from your rampage. That cannot go unpunished…whether or not you experienced such terrible traumas."

Shadow looked to the floor briefly before he heard a feminine voice, "May I propose a decent punishment?"

The crowd, as well as Shadow turned to the sound of Julie Robotnik's voice. She had risen from her seat and stood at least a couple of feet above the entire crowd, "Shadow rightfully belongs to me, as he was created by my late great-grandfather. And since I've been planning to move him from this continent anyways, why not just banish him from walking on this place again? Therefore you won't have to worry about seeing him again…and well, he'll be free to go. And why not allow him to help in the reconstruction of your village?"

The chief caught the approving glances of nearby soldiers. After hearing the approving murmurs from the crowd, he turned to look at Julie, then at Shadow, "…Now that is an interesting proposition, young lady…"

The chief turned to the crowd sitting behind him, "And do you all feel that this is a fair decision?"

Stronger, approving mumbles rose from the crowd, then the chief turned to face Shadow, "As decided by our clan, you, black and red hedgehog, shall redeemed yourself through the labor of mending our village, and then, afterwards, you are exiled to never walk in this land again. I have spoken."

Just as soon as the chief's voice died down, the crowd swarmed around Shadow. He was a little surprised at their sudden embodiment, but he was also more than shocked to hear the kind words they spoke to him. He happened to catch sight of Julie Robotnik's dark eyes, for the first time in months; Shadow gave her a genuine smile.

But as always, his true smile disappeared quickly, only this time, he frowned at the touch of a stranger. Patting him on the shoulder was a brown hedgehog standing beside a black echidna, "…Oh! We heard about your terrible story my man! And we've been so touched that we will help you when time comes for the new village to be built. Trigger Hedgehog at your service!"

"And I'm Blare Echidna; whatever you need pal, we're here."

* * *

"Thanks for the ride fellas!" Julie called. 

With the sound of galloping horses, a voice called out, belonging to the brown hedgehog, "No problem, lady! And Goodbye Shadow!"

After waving the traveling wagon off, Shadow turned to face Julie, "Well, here we are, home sweet home."

Julie flicked on the lights and the large building was lit. The young woman turned to face Shadow. He had stopped outside of the base's front steps as he peered at the opened door hesitantly. He shook his head and walked in beside the girl who watched him earnestly.

Looking around, Shadow began to study the Sahara Dessert base; it looked relatively the same as he had left it. Except, it appeared that Julie had thought to hang large paintings in the lab, "Like it? I just sort of made myself home here."

"No, I don't," Shadow deadpanned, "The only reason I'm here is to return your favor. Now what did you want to show me?"

"A couple of things; follow me," Julie turned to look at him, "Thirsty?"

"No," and that was the honest truth; Shadow found that he had no appetite in the base.

Julie led the black hedgehog through the halls of the base, giving him a painful walk on memory lane. At another detour in the hallway, Shadow stopped walking completely. He immediately knew that he was in the hall of the red room. Julie stopped and looked at him, "…Shadow?"

"I'm not going in there…"

"Shadow, we must, this is where you must go…I need to show you something in there…"

"I'm not going in there," this time Shadow hissed his words much more potently.

"Please," she whined, "You must! For me?"

Shadow scoffed and charged past her, "This had _better_ be good!"

With the hiss of the opening door, they both entered the room. The second he entered the red room, déjà vu smacked him painfully; everything was returning back to him in a flood of terrible, icy memories. Almost blankly, Shadow stumbled around the room, tottering aimlessly.

The black hedgehog saw that the room was being put to use again as three large capsules were humming and churning. Shadow looked at the human girl and walked up to the first capsule before Julie could warn him, "Shadow, wait--!"

At the sight of the being in the capsule, Shadow's blood froze. An artic, chill began to slowly crawl up his spine, "…Is this what you wanted to show me…"

The capsule filled with a purple goo housed a very familiar gold hedgehog. Shadow felt the back of his mind screaming to finish the beating he started. A feral, raging anger was beginning to simmer. Julie rushed beside Shadow and met his terrible glare, "…No…I'm just finishing what my father should have…"

"You're saving him?" Shadow hissed.

"His cognitive thinking was--"

"I don't care!" Shadow roared, "No matter what I do, Rouge won't come back! _Ever_!"

"True, but you got a second chance…I think he deserves one as well…" Julie looked to the floor, knowing that Shadow looked more than ready to murder her, "But anyways, let me show you what I meant to show you…"

Shadow followed the human to the next capsule, but Julie stopped abruptly before they got to it. She turned to face him, sorrowfully, "…This next capsule holds someone very dear to you…"

Shadow looked up at her, residue of his anger still on his face, "What?"

"Someone you'll never speak with again…in this life," Julie bit back her breath.

She watched sadly as Shadow's stern gaze melted into a deep sorrow. He knew _exactly _who was sleeping in the next capsule. "Do you want to see her? When I found this lab, I found her and put her in one of the glass capsules…I didn't know what to do with her…"

Shadow closed his eyes; so his love rested in a glass casket, just like Snow White, "…No, not at this moment…"

"I understand," Julie nodded her head, "…She was such a lovely being…I can understand why your love runs so deep for her."

Shadow looked up at Julie with mixed, incomprehensible emotions, "…Was that the last thing you wished to show me?"

"Oh no, there's one last thing… but remember, you can come back here and see her whenever you want. She'll always be here for you…" They stopped beside the last capsule.

With a few quick taps on the dials, the capsule opened with a slight hiss. Shadow nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a powerful, yet angry cry. Smiling, Julie moved to the side to let the frowning Shadow get a view of the capsule. Shadow's frown dissolved instantly when he looked into the capsule and saw a crying infant bat. The baby was a fine ivory and wailed tremendously; the cold air had upset the little bundle.

"This, Shadow, is your baby daughter."

Shadow stared at the wailing white bat. He slowly moved a quavering hand toward his daughter, and at the touch of his warm hand, the baby settled down and opened her eyes. He fell entranced when he was met with large, adorable near fuchsia eyes. If Shadow thought he could only fall in love once then he just found out that he was wrong…

Slowly, he turned to look at Julie Robotnik. It looked as if another wave of emotion had just hit the ultimate life form; he was trembling greatly as his eyes were threatening to leak tears, "…How? That can't be—I…"

Suddenly, the human girl bent down and wrapped Shadow in a hug. To say the least, he was thrown completely off guard, "You do not have to be so afraid anymore Shadow…you are not alone anymore. You have a child, and she has you. Neither of you will have to suffer. I know that you still miss Rouge terribly, and you always shall, but look Shadow. She has left you the greatest gift possible; a new life. Take your daughter, and start a brand new life, with great, new possibilities."

"…Why have you done all of this for me?" Shadow asked numbly, letting his arms drop from their previous defensive posture.

"Because, I know this may sound cheesy, but I want all my experiments, my babies to be happy!" Julie smiled at him brightly, almost stupidly, "Besides, every picture of you I've seen has you looking like a grouchy-poo!"

Julie laughed at the incredible expression Shadow had on his face, and pulled away from him, "Oh come off it! I've heard all about my three projects: Shadow never smiled, Achilles smiled too much, and Scythe….well, he yelled a lot! But either way, trust me, you won't see Achilles again…I've scheduled him to wake up in about one hundred and eighty-nine years or so."

Shadow gazed up at her skeptically, "That would work…If I wasn't immortal…"

"…You just like to make things difficult, don't you?" Julie quipped, "But trust me, after all the rest, he'll be better; not so much on the kooky side."

She shook her head, "Look, let's not waste anymore time; just take your daughter Shadow, and get out of here! I had mind enough to find a Chaos Emerald. So remember, you can always return to visit your beloved Rouge as you please."

"…Hey Julie…"

"Hmm?"

Just as the human turned to face him again, Shadow tackled her in a bear-hug, knocking them both to the floor. In a fit of happiness they both laughed.

* * *

Maria looked at her father deeply; the girl stared at her father as if he had devoured an entire bull, "Is this all true? With mom being murdered, and you, going completely insane? I…never knew that…" 

Shadow nodded his head. Maria looked to the floor, "Yes, this is all true Rouge Maria. Every last ounce of it. After I returned from Africa, I used Chaos Control to teleport here…"

This time, the girl didn't even wince at her complete name, she was too busy digesting his story, "…So…since you said mom was dead before I was born, does that mean that a machine kept me alive?"

"That, and Julie Robotnik…"

"Okay," Maria cut off the thought instantly with a sharp voice; she didn't want to know anymore, she decided to change the topic,"…So you actually named me after mom, huh?"

"Honestly, I couldn't decide who to name you after…Maria, or Rouge," then Shadow smiled, "So I chose both; and of course you hated it."

Maria looked at her father before looking up into the sapphire sky, "…Not anymore I don't…I'm just sorry I raised such a big fuss over it."

Shadow smiled at Maria as she rested her head on his shoulder. A comfortable silence filled the air as they studied the thick, fluffy clouds in the sky.

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"…Do you think I look like mom?" Maria's purple eyes fell upon her dad, "Everyone says I do. But when I look at the photos of her, I think she's much prettier."

Shadow smirked, "You're an almost exact replica of her, despite the purple eyes. But you're much tougher, more boyish in nature."

"Yeah," Maria scratched the back of her head, "She actually wore dresses!"

Maria laughed when Shadow smiled at her, "But in no way was your mother a wimp…By a long shot. I told you about how she was a thief…But anyways…The hardest thing, despite winning your mother's heart, was raising you… "

Both Shadow and Maria exchanged looks; Shadow smiled smugly at his daughter as Maria frowned at him, "Haha, very funny dad."

"Oh yeah, it was very hard to raise you without a mother," Shadow replied with a sigh.

"…Is that why I always spent so much time with Aunt Amy and Aunt Daisy?" Maria asked.

"Oh yeah…" Shadow replied, with Maria's light laughter, "There was even this one time I remember…"

* * *

A small, twelve-year old Maria was reading a large paper-back book. It was five-thirty in the afternoon when the front door shut. The young Maria looked up to see her father at the door, "Hi dad." 

"Hey superstar," it was another one of Sonic's infamous nicknames that he gave out and somehow stuck, "What are you reading about? History? Science?"

"…No…"

Shadow walked over to the chestnut table his daughter was planted at, while she scanned the book, Shadow read the title, "'Learning about the Birds and the Bees'"

Shadow paused after reading that, and Maria looked up and asked her father the single most feared question, "…Dad, where do babies come from?"

"…"

---

Amy, alongside of Daisy, had been busy preparing a warm, piping hot dinner for the return of Both Sonic, and their son, Flash. Daisy sat comfortably at Amy's furnished wooden table as she watched her toddler daughter, Sunny, wobble around the room.

"Oh I'm so happy, Shortcake," Sonic's nicknames stuck, regardless of age or status, "Flash is starting to become a good runner, just like his dad."

"I bet he is," Daisy smiled, "Why with Sonic training him and all I know he'll--"

Suddenly, the front door flew open and Shadow barged in, pushing Maria before both of his friends.

"Here, take her."

Amy blinked, "...Wha--?"

"No questions! _Just take her_."

* * *

Maria burst out laughing as Shadow sighed, "You scared the living daylights out of me that day." 

Maria smiled wickedly, "I bet! I remember after that day, you didn't let me talk to boys for a week! You even chased away Uncle Sonic's son, Flash!"

Shadow nodded his head, "You got that right!"

With a small smirk, he ruffled the top of Maria's hair. She pulled away from him playfully and smiled at him. For half a second, he thought that Rouge was smiling back at him.

He shook his head and cleared his thoughts; as hard as it seemed, he had to remember that although Rouge was gone, Maria was his focus now. She was the only thing he had left. But those who were lost along life's journey should always be remembered.

A slightly trembling voice spoke, "He-hello Mister Hedgehog."

Shadow's eyes fell upon the owner of the voice and instinctively, his eyes narrowed, "…Hello Flash."

A young, sky-blue hedgehog with cyan-green eyes stood almost tidily before Shadow's intense eyes. This kid was none other than the son of Sonic and Amy. He took after his mother's outgoing, bubbly personality, and he inherited his father's sense of humor. But unlike Sonic, he knew when to crank on the humor.

Shadow trained his eyes on Sonic's offspring; it was obvious that Shadow was making him sweat bullets. But he had to give the boy credit; he was the _only_ kid in school brave enough to try to ask the ultimate life-form's beautiful daughter out on a date. And Flash was sure that the only reason Shadow hadn't tried to kill him already was because of the fact that his parents had named Shadow as his Godparent.

"Well, aren't you going to speak to Maria?" Shadow huffed.

"Oh, yeah," Flash grinned stupidly, "Hi Super—er, Maria."

The white bat grinned, "Hey Flashy."

"So um, Uncle Shadow--"

"_Mister_ Hedgehog," Shadow corrected abruptly.

"Yeah, Mister Hedgehog," Flash replied, "Is it okay if I take your daughter, Rouge Maria, out on a date. AndIswearI'llhaveherhomebeforedark!"

Maria covered her mouth as she attempted to hide a giggle, Shadow would have been laughing too, had Flash not been asking _his_ daughter out, "And need I remind you of what proper date behavior is?"

Flash twiddled his thumbs as he looked up at Shadow, "N-no Mister Hedgehog…"

"Good, and do you remember the proverb I told you about dating my daughter?" Shadow asked.

"Umm, yeah," Flash said, "… 'If Flash tries to touchy-touchy, then Shadow will eat Flash for lunchy-lunchy.'"

Shadow turned and looked at Maria as if expecting her to say something as well, "Oh, you said if he tried anything just to Chaos Blast him."

"That's what I want to hear," Shadow replied, as Flash blanched, "I better hear good things about this outing."

"You will Mister Hedgehog," Flash replied, he turned to Maria; when his eyes met her alluring purple irises, his face went warm, "Um, let's go now…"

Maria smiled as she felt Flash take her hand; even though he seized her hand with a gentle caution, she also noticed that he held her hand with an assured firmness. With a wave, Maria smiled at her dad and followed Flash out of the park.

Shadow returned her wave, and watched her disappear out of the park. Flash and Maria turned to look at each other and smiled; Maria with a large grin and Flash with a slightly bashful smile. Together, the young, handsome couple looked happy together. He knew that his daughter was in good hands…

Then Shadow frowned at the thought, '_She had better NOT be in 'good hands'_!'

Shadow was disrupted from his thoughts when he felt a hand land on his shoulder, "A hedgehog and a bat, do they remind you of anyone else, Shad?"

Shadow smiled, almost envisioning a younger version of himself and Rouge in their place. He turned to look at the infamous blue hedgehog, and responded with a very ultimate life-form like quip, "…I just can't believe I'm letting her go out with _your_ son."

"Hey, he knows how to treat a lady," Sonic said with a smile, "He's learned from the best."

"And when you say that, I'm hoping that you're speaking of your rose hedgehog."

"Oh, ho!" Sonic grinned, "Touché!"

"So, is everyone going to be coming here?"

"Are you kidding me?" Sonic replied, "No one wants to miss our group picnic! Everyone's coming, Lil' bud and Cream, Scythe and Shortcake, even Knux and Tikal are coming from Angel Island. I guess they left their kid in charge of the Master Emerald again…But you know how Sol is, all quiet and reserved just like Knux…Anyhoo, Amy's coming from the car; she should be here any minute now. But the others should be here any second from now."

Sonic paused briefly, allowing the good air between them to circulate, he turned to watch the retreating figure of both Shadow's daughter and his son, "…Doesn't she look just like Rouge? If I didn't know any better, I'd think batgirl had a clone walking around!"

Rouge…Sonic's single word brought Shadow into a thoughtful reflection, he closed his eyes; '_Only if you were here now to see this day... the sky is blue…the grass is green…your beautiful daughter has grown up into your mirror image…it's absolutely gorgeous…_'

"Oh, no, it looks like the dynamic duo is back together again!"

Approaching over the horizon of green hills, were a couple of echidnas, a pair of hedgehogs, and a fox and a rabbit. Smiling, Sonic waved back to them, "'Ey! It took you guys long enough!"

"Hey, don't be mad," Knuckles replied, " Tikal had to finish making the lemonade, and being the grand chief myself, I had to put my finishing touches of the grilled steak sandwiches."

"We brought the brownies, pasta and the potato salad," then Scythe smiled wickedly, "And if you_ really_ wanna know why we were late, it was because Daisy wanted to ride the pon--"

Daisy blushed and elbowed him in the stomach, "Scythe! _Will you shut up_? Don't say such things! Especially not in front of Sunny!"

"…_That's_ how we got Sunny…" Scythe ruffled the quills on his daughter's head, "Isn't that right pipsqueak?"

The yellow hedgehog glared at him playfully with silver eyes, just like her dad's, "Hey!"

"And we have the chilly dogs, soda, and ice cream!" A full-grown Tails replied.

A happy shriek was released from Sonic, " Hell yeah! Now _this_ is what I call a picnic! Let's eat! For we shall dine like kings!"

Smiling, Cream halted Sonic in his path; after all the years that had passed, the little Cream had turned into a eye-catching lady, "Now, now! You'll have to wait until we set up the table, sir!"

Sonic frowned, "Aww damn!"

Scythe watched as Knuckles, Cream, and Daisy prepped the table, "…That's right, aside from the food, we're going to need that table for our poker tournament."

Tikal sighed, "…Again?"

Knuckles shrugged, "You know the routine by now Ti, our get-togethers just aren't get-togethers without poker…and lemonade!"

"And liquor!" That was Scythe.

"Yeah!" Sonic called out, "Besides, everyone knows Shad sucks somethin' awful at Blackjack!"

Shadow looked up at Sonic with a playful frown, and with a laugh, Scythe took over, " Come on now, Blue! No one insults 'the ultimate life-form' and gets away with it!"

Shadow crackled his knuckles ominously, "By the time I'm done with this card game, Faker will owe me his mortgage, house and his wife!"

A crow of laughter rang out from the group of friends. Although the blue hero didn't look quite too happy with his friend's jest. Shadow felt a hand squeeze his shoulder lightly.

"And just _what_ was that crack about _Sonic's_ wife?"

Shadow spun around to face Amy Rose. Although she had an eyebrow arched, she still wore an amused expression. This brought an even louder raise of laughter.

"Checkmate!" Knuckles called out.

"Serves you right!" Daisy laughed.

"Okay, let's hurry and set the table, Sonic looks as if he's about to pass out," Tikal smiled.

"…It's not hard to see why Knuckles married you," Sonic replied, making Tikal's smile broaden, "You know _exactly_ how to please your man."

Scythe frowned, "…I'll take the clean meaning behind that one…"

As the others began to disperse, Amy appeared before Shadow with a smile, "So, the two kiddies went off already, huh?"

Shadow sighed, "…Yeah, Maria and Flash left."

"You know, he's really head-over-heels for your daughter," Amy smiled slyly, "We did pretty much raise them together, you know. And they are _such _a good couple; they look very cute together…"

Shadow stiffened as Amy bellowed with laughter, "What?"

"First I have to listen to your erratic blue husband, and _now _you're over here trying to peddle off my Maria?"

"Don't blame me for trying to set the pretty girl up with the best," Amy grinned, "Anyway, the real reason why I'm talkin' to you is…'cause today Tails is gonna propose to Cream!"

Shadow turned to look at a fidgeting Tails, "…Is that so?"

"Yep, just look at him squirm! Why, I remember when Sonic proposed to me at the baseball game, I thought he had the flu that day! He looked so pale!"

Shadow smirked terribly; he remembered that day; he enjoyed every second of Sonic looking as if he was about to wet himself…As matter as fact, Shadow was in the seat beside Sonic, watching the blue hedgehog sweat bullets, "So when is he going to make his move?"

"After the others set the table. The only person who does not know about the proposal is Cream!" Amy smiled.

Shadow smirked, "And that's exactly how is should be."

Almost perfectly timed, Shadow turned to look at the others to see them finishing up the last touches of the completed table. Tons of different delicious foods and drinks were set on the table. And he also caught sight of a rather large, delicious looking cake set off to the side of the table; he knew what that was for: a successful proposal.

Shadow's quick eyes caught Tails making his way over to an oblivious Cream. While she was enjoying the company of her friends, she failed to notice Tails smoothly making his way to her. It had been a full minute before Cream finally realized that Tails was beside her. She smiled as he returned a nervous smile.

Slowly, the chattering with the others died as they all turned to focus on both Tails and Cream. The brown rabbit smiled, "…What is it Tails? Oh how rude of me! How have you been today? I've been doing well...Hey! Maybe one day we can go to the beach together and--"

She paused, suddenly feeling as if the entire atmosphere around her had died, and it had. All the talking stopped and all eyes were upon her. Blinking, Cream turned and saw the others staring at her with big, toothy smiles.

Slowly, Cream turned to face the taller fox before her, almost nervously. She shifted closer to Tails, leaning aganist him innocently, "…Tails? What's going on? Why are they all staring at us?"

Little did Cream know, her innocent gesture sent Tails into a spiral of emotion. The fox's face exploded with crimson, and it didn't help at all that he heard snickers from his friends; Tail's embarrassment did _not _go unnoticed. Shaking his head, Tails moved away from Cream, who stared at curiously, "...Cream, I have something important to...ask of you."

Cream smiled, "Sure Tails, anything!"

With a gulp, Tails slowly took a knee. Cream's face gave way to shock as her mouth dropped in surprise. A whooping cheer from the group of nearby friends followed; with the loudest being Sonic shouting a '_Get her Casanova_!'. Tails' ears burned with not only the cheers of his friends, but from embarrassment as well, "…Cream…will you…m-marry me?"

For a split second Cream stared at the young fox wordlessly, her eyes widening from shock. Before her, Tails bowed with hopeful, blue eyes. And in the young fox's hand was a goregous diamond ring. The boy she had known for years was suddenly proposing to her. It felt almost unreal, and she suddenly started to feel dizzy.

_'Did...he really just ask me to marry him_?'

To the others, it looked as if she had been frozen solid, just merely staring at Tails. With her delayed reaction, Tails' heart began to thump violently; was she going to say no? She wasn't smiling or anything! She looked terrified!

But just as doubt was swirling in her mind, Cream stared into Tails' deep sapphire blue eyes, seeing only warm, compassionate things. Eyes that projected how much he truly loved her.

Just as Tails was beginning to fear the worst, the rabbit's eyes contorted as tears streamed from her face. Cream dove into his arms, with a shriek, almost knocking Tails onto the floor, "Yes! Oh yes I will! I've been waiting so long for this!"

Another clamor of happiness rose. Smiling, both Tails and Cream sealed the deal with their first real kiss. It was deep, passionate and long. Knuckles gawked, "Who taught him how to do _that?"_

_"_Oh damn..." Scythe said.

Tikal gasped, "Oh my! Such...experience !"

Sonic put a hand on Knuckles' shoulder and looked at him smugly, "I always teach my students the best material. What they _really _need to know about in life."

"..." Shadow was speechless.

With a whoop, Sonic shouted, "All right! Now that Tails handled his business...Let's bring out the tipsy-drinks!"

In a wave or merriment, the group of friends attacked the table of goods. They enjoyed the lovely weather, the delicious food, and the warm company of their friendship. And watching from a couple of meters away were two familiar, yet invisible figures.

"Isn't this such a lovely picnic? Young Tails and Cream have finally confessed their love…Your daughter and the boy hedgehog are off on their date…see, I told you everything would be all right, didn't I, Rouge?"

The now white-winged bat smiled, draped in an ivory gown, "…Yes you were right Maria…Everything is fine…And finally so is my Shadow…"

Maria pointed forward, "Look Rouge...he's looking this way!"

The angelic bat looked up, and sure enough, Shadow was staring in their direction. She swore that he was looking dead at her. Rouge froze, wondering if the black and red hedgehog had seen them. But then he looked away when Sonic placed a hand on his shoulder, "...Shad? What are you gawkin' at?"

Shadow shook his head, "...Nothing, you just caught me in a daydream, I guess."

Sonic smiled, "Well, then stop your daydreamin'! We gotta eat before all the food disappears! Come on pal, let's help ourselves to a slice of butter cake."

The blue hedgehog placed a friendly hand on Shadow's shoulder as he lead him back to his friends. Just as he was wandering over, Amy presented him with a plate full of food, "Come on Shadow! We're about to play volleyball! Eat first, then join us."

With a small smile, Shadow walked over to join his awaiting friends at the picnic table. Already they were eating and jesting merrily. While glowing in the company of his friends, Shadow had a single thought, '_ Someday, I'll see you again Rouge...but as for now...I have to take care of Maria...and my friends as well.'_

"Hey Shadow, are you just gonna stare off into space like an idiot, or are you gonna play some poker?"

Shadow raised his head to glimpse at the smirking silver and black hedgehog. Replacing his friendly, dreamily smile, his customary smirk fell into place, "Fine then. But if I haven't said this already...you're going to loose; I'm the ultimate life-form!"

And with that, the group of heroes sat under the deep sapphire blue sky, enjoying their day out together. Smiles, laughs and merriment filled the air as the group enjoyed one of the many peaceful days they fought for. Even after all the hardships they faced, they still managed to pull together to preserve the world for future generations. Truly, the heroes themselves have earned their deserved peace; to build new lives, friendships, love, and families...

-_El fin_-

* * *

Chapter Thirty Theme_: "The Sweetest Goodbye"- Maroon 5 _

-Thanks for all the Support and the Reviews my friends, couldn't have done it without you! For deeper character Profiles, see el author's bio. But anyways, thanks guys for readin' my fic! Hopefully, I'll see you guys in another! And with that said, peace out, and later days.

_Ultrra_

-Ready for the sequel :)

http// www. fanfiction. net /s/ 3290587 / 1 / (Just take out the spaces and boom, there ya go!)


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